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Tom Dugan: An Unfinished Playlis

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Tom Dugan An Unfinished Playlist a keepsake from Memoir for Me

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I thought that this book would be a great token of love appreciation and respect that Tom s friends and family have for him It is meant to be a recognition of his life to date and the great things that are yet to come Tom is a great friend of mine We have accomplished many things together professionally and have traveled to so many great places together Ireland three times New York Boston Orlando Miami Pinehurst Bandon Dunes Kohler Pebble Beach Sea Island He and Jan have been very kind to my wife and kids We have hosted each other at our homes and spent holidays together I treasure the friendship that I have with Tom Jan and his family and friends and look forward to more adventures together Pete Walsh

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Take your time don t live too fast Troubles will come and they will pass Go find a woman and you ll find love And don t forget son There is someone up above Lynyrd Skynyrd 4

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Tom in Paris 2009 Thomas Francis Dugan has accomplished great things in his life He has served 18 years as CFO of one of the largest resort developer in the world He was voted top executive in the Orlando area in 2014 He is professional to the point of persnickety and has an enviable wardrobe and shoe collection He is extremely put together said his daughter Jen He s known for his fashion sense and even has the nickname of CFO Chief Fashion Officer But to his family friends and work colleagues Tom is much more than success and Ferragamo loafers He is giving to the point of insanity He is passionate about the finer things in life mainly golf red wine travel and music And he is the best dad stepdad and grandfather a kid could ask for 5

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Remember when you were young you shone like the sun Pink Floyd Tom grew up outside of Newark New Jersey as the oldest of four boys His father Joseph was a Marine and fireman the quintessential Irish civil servant His mother Eleanor also of Irish descent was a homemaker and an iron willed disciplinarian Tom s childhood was full of Catholic schooling culminating in a degree in accounting from St Peter s University in Jersey City in 1967 My father has always been a huge Notre Dame fan But he said he could never go there because he wasn t smart or rich enough said his son Tommy He was definitely smart enough Following school Tom was commissioned as a second lieutenant and excelled in the ROTC He spent two years on active duty stationed at Fort Monmouth in Oceanport New Jersey where he befriended a Colonel over games of pinochle This relationship had distinct advantages Every time my dad s name would come up to be sent overseas Tommy said this Colonel would put his name back to the bottom of his stack He knew who to talk to and befriend said Jen his daughter Though he eluded Vietnam he continued his commitment in the Army reserves for several years and was discharged as a First Lieutenant The military values and physical training regimen shaped him and can be seen decades later simply in the way he carries himself 6 Tom 9 months 1946 Tom held by his father Joe in 1946

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Tom with four generations of family in 1947 He s got an average build but he walks with confidence into a room He walks with swagger like a ninja said Tommy He carries himself very well His posture is pretty much perfect said Jen Following the army he returned to New Jersey and got married Along came children Jen in 1974 and Tommy in 1976 He was working for KPMG and was offered to become a partner if he relocated to Oklahoma City So in 1981 Tom and his family moved to Edmond OK In between work and other life demands he made sure to spend ample time with his kids sharing a love for baseball cards and rock and roll We communicated through music I remember driving around with him as he circled the block to finish a particular song said Jen 7

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Through the years Tom and his daughter would make CDs for each other which then became digital playlists His music catalog is unbelievable said Jen He s taught me a lot about music over time from doo wop to contemporary Son Tommy who would quiz his dad on sports stats also commented on his dad s love for music We d spend countless hours together in the car traveling to and from games and practices That s where we discovered a shared love for classic rock Tom s collection is diverse including favorites from Grateful Dead U2 Willie Nelson Pink Floyd Bruce Springsteen amongst many others Tom has 40 000 songs between two iPods said Jan He puts his headphones on and goes to sleep many nights to Dark Side of the Moon Tom and his iPod enjoying music in Italy in 2014 8

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Tom and Jan on their wedding day in 1986 I see the road is rough you know I m not giving up Hallelujah here she comes U2 Though blessed with two kids Tom s marriage didn t last and the couple separated in 1984 But as that chapter closed another soon opened That winter Tom was visiting at a friend s house when he had the good fortune to bump into Jan Crosley a fellow divorcee with one son Martin My neighbor Susan Marks said to me I have somebody you should meet When you see a white Cadillac in our driveway come over Jan said Jan was heading home early from a date when she saw the Cadillac parked next door She stopped in and by the end of the evening had another date lined up this time with Tom Our first date was December 17th 1984 said Jan We went to see a movie and the film broke Can you believe it So we went out for Mexican food I loved it and found out later that Tom didn t care for Mexican food at all 9

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But Tom did enjoy the company and more dates followed As Jan got to know him better she discovered his generosity thoughtfulness and above all his commitment to his kids I always thought he was cute but I was dating around at the time It wasn t until I knew him awhile I realized what a great guy he was He was so dedicated to his kids he had them over nearly ever weekend And he was very good to me too His apartment in Oklahoma was sparsely decorated and rarely used due to long working hours It was like a monastery There was a kitchen but no fridge He owned a box spring and mattress which was set up on the floor right next to a trampoline set up for exercise said Jan The first time I stayed over Tom went out to buy some new towels I remember they still had the price tags As things grew more serious Tom Jan and her son Marty moved in together They also had Tommy and Jen nearly every weekend The kids all got along with each other and it seemed the families were blending together well Time to make it official The morning after a big fight Tom asked Jan to marry him I don t even remember what the argument was about but it was bad I was throwing things and left the house Jan said The next morning he proposed I didn t say yes I said when 10 Tom and Jan in Paris 2009 Tom and Jan in 2012

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Renewing vows on Anna Maria Island in 2007 We all need someone we can bleed on and if you want it you can bleed on me The Rolling Stones Tom and Jan were married December 20th 1986 in Edmond Oklahoma But they wouldn t stay put for long Tom s ex wife wanted to move back to New Jersey with the kids So a few months later Tom and Jan moved to Berkeley Heights New Jersey in order to stay close to Tommy and Jen Marty joined them late that summer It was tough when we first moved to New Jersey We didn t have much It was a definite struggle said Jan But I was crazy about him I would ve never left him for lack of money We just toughed it out Jan went back to work applying her artistic degree to design kitchens and custom cabinetry Tom found various jobs including stints at Vyquest and Harvard Industries As opportunities arose Tom made smart career moves that improved his trajectory and also was good for his family a life lesson not lost on Marty 11

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Tom taught me not to be afraid to make a change if that change is going to put you in a better spot in life He has a good sense of when it s time to get out Perseverance and smart business moves eventually paid off In 1993 Tom was offered a more lucrative job in Lakeland Florida as a consultant for Breed Technologies When we moved to Florida things turned around Financial stresses eased up said Jan Then in 1997 Tom interviewed with David Siegel CEO of Westgate one of the largest resort developers in the world Siegel was a strong personality and ultimate entrepreneur selling his first timeshares in the 1980s out of a construction trailer with nothing more than blueprints The job was for CFO and Tom was prepared for an involved and intense interview process Instead Siegel was so impressed by Tom upon meeting him that he offered up the job on the spot Tom was now a key member of an executive team leading over 6 000 employees Westgate had its share of successes and struggles One of Tom s business colleagues and close friends Pete Walsh has been with Tom through much of these twist and turns In 2010 Westgate was in serious risk of defaulting on a debt over 1 billion dollars as their large new 52 story project in Las Vegas was completed and opened right when the financial downturn occurred said Pete Tom was the key buffer between the agitated and outright nasty lenders and David Siegel who didn t want to concede anything 12 Tom and Michael Marder in Ireland 2015 Tom with his brothers and friend Larz

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Jim Dowd Pete Walsh Tom Dugan and Ryan Mullaney on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach 2014 The next 18 months were trying on everyone involved In the end Tom together with Pete Walsh and General Counsel Michael Marder saved Westgate from collapse It would make for an amazing Harvard Business School case study said Pete Everybody involved said it would never happen but in the end not one of his lenders lost a penny and David retained ownership of the entire company Westgate Resorts is now stronger than ever with annual sales approaching 800MM in 2015 Tom has been the glue that has held Westgate together during rough times said Pete I ve had the pleasure of working with him for 15 years now His loyalty is uncommon in the financial markets Pete met Tom over a round of golf at a conference at the Scottsdale Princess in 2000 Since then Pete has helped raise 2 billion dollars for Westgate and they ve been golfing and traveling together ever since In 2015 they celebrated Tom s 70th birthday with Jan and a few other friends playing historic golf courses all over Ireland including Old Head Watervillle Ballybunion and Lahinch They stayed at the historic Drumoland Castle Tom travels very well He s America s Guest said Pete He also carries more moisturizers and creams than anyone I ve ever met Moving from Jersey to Florida has softened him 13

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I don t care too much for money money can t buy me love The Beatles Tom s success in business points to a strong character and value system He is fiercely loyal to the people around him whether it s an employee a friend or a family member The Dugan family crest includes a dog which represents loyalty said Jen My dad has a sense of observing what s around him and jumping in to help He takes care to protect the people around him He s always taking care of everybody said Pete Walsh He ll have caddies for years then hire them at Westgate It s like a litmus test to see if they can put up with his sh Part of Tom s character is a keen business sense trained to make decisions quickly He s very decisive He knows what he wants when he wants it said Martin You can guarantee if you re asking him a question he s going to get you an answer in short order This directness honesty and generosity is hugely respected at Westgate People just love to work for him said Jan He has a warmth about him He even likes to bring cake for some of the departments Some people lose their minds about it said Tommy 14 Tom with daughter Jen and son Tommy 2003 Tom with Jan and close friends Joyce Kesse and Ticia Kervel

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Tom with Marty Anna Maria Island 2015 Growing up Tommy experienced some of this strong personality as stern parenting He was hard on me until I was equal sized I was shy He taught me to look somebody in the eye Be confident at all times in yourself Don t be a pushover And above all things if there is something that you want go for it With business success came wealth and good fortune However Tom Dugan has not been one to bask in the spoils One common response came up again and again when asked about Tom s character his extreme generosity A friend of mine was struggling financially said Jen My dad wrote me a check and told me to share it with her without saying where it came from He s been a great example of compassion and generosity His giving is not limited to family and close friends Employees his working family have also benefitted from Tom s incredible generosity If someone had a death in the family if someone couldn t pay the rent he just handed them a check No questions asked and no expectation to be repaid said Tommy 15

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His wife Jan knows she s lucky and also to keep her mouth shut With me he s over the top I have to be careful with what I admire because he ll just go out and buy it for me for no reason other than he loves me Tom s generous with more than just his money He s extremely giving of his time said Marty His grandkids are probably one of his biggest priorities He ll spend endless hours with them and checks in on them without even asking us He truly wants them around Jan and Tom host Marty s two kids Sean 11 and Kelly 9 as well as Tommy s son Walter 1 almost every weekend We go in the pool watch movies Just hang out We love having family here said Jan And as any grandparent knows grandchildren are for spoiling He doesn t let them languish at all said Martin If Sean s complaining about his phone Tom will just take care of it Tom with grandson Sean in Gatlinburg Tennessee in 2013

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Drew Joyce Jan Tom Mary and Wayne in Park City Utah 2010 How I wish how I wish you were here Pink Floyd Among other passions Tom loves to travel the world with the people he loves HIs favorite travel companion is Jan For her 60th birthday he surprised her with a trip to Paris He is like a concierge when we travel Wherever we go he has dinner reservations all set up He s great to travel with said Jan Special trips with family and friends have formed traditions over the years such as spending Christmas in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria going out on a swamp boat at the River Ranch spending time at the beach on Anna Maria Island or gathering with friends in Michigan The destination is not as important as the people who gather there We go to the beach go out on the water watch the fish go by said Marty The kids aren t always thrilled with the beach but if Grandma and Grandpa are going they ll man up 17

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Close friends Drew and Joyce as well as Larz and Ticia are other frequent travel companions They are friends dating back to growing up in New Jersey and they have a lot of fun no matter where they are said Pete Walsh I have hosted the whole crew in Michigan over the past 15 years and visited with them in New York and Boston They are a fun group to be around Tom s generous spirit brings people together time and time again While living in Florida he rented a house on the Jersey Shore to ensure cousins from both sides of the family remained connected In 2010 Tom threw a birthday party for Tommy and Jen s grandmother Anita who was turning 85 and was in ill health There were so many people there I ll never forget it said Jen My grandmother looked beautiful and glowing Who does that for an ex mother in law With the simple act of getting people together Tom created an opportunity not only to celebrate a birthday but to create special memories of Anita to those who loved her She died a few weeks later said Jen tearfully Anything makes me cry My dad would get so aggravated about it asking Why are you crying He s a fixer Her always wanted to fix the situation Celebrating Anita s 85th birthday in 2010 18 Tom with brother Frank son Tommy friend Larz and nephew Christopher in 2010

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Tom and Jan in Dublin Ireland 2013 And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make The Beatles Though Tom and Jan will be married for 29 years in 2015 the love between them is closer to that of two newlyweds He wouldn t be able to get by even one day without Jan I was over one day and witnessed the fact that he literally couldn t open a can said Jen Hard to believe this same man who couldn t open a can was named Top Executive of the Year by the Orlando Business Journal in 2014 Instead of just accepting his award and giving a standard speech about the keys to his success he asked his wife Jan to stand up and then told the large crowd And she is mmm mmm smokin I was dying There were hundreds of people at this dinner and I just wanted to hide under my seat His daughter Jen was at the awards ceremony as well He acknowledged Jan and everyone was moved He just really appreciates her They make a great team Tom reminds his kids how lucky they are to have Jan in their lives He sends us pictures of her all the time said Jen It s been a great example of how to treat the person you re with 19

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I m free to do what I want any old time The Rolling Stones After 18 years at Westgate Tom Dugan could retire and live comfortably But that doesn t seem to be in the cards He s at the point of his life where he can do anything he wants said Jan How many people get to say that He says he ll never retire He would be bored to tears But in between handling financial complexities for Westgate he ll be taking his wife on a river cruise through Europe He ll be growing his record collection He ll be playing with his grandchildren He ll be out on the golf course My biggest regret is not learning to play golf says Tommy Now I m waiting for him to get old and bad at the game so I can get competitive With his phone ringtone set to Bruce Springsteen s Glory Days it seems Tom Dugan is living that phase of his life right now Tom loves Marty Tommy and Jen He loves his grandchildren And you know what He loves me said Jan After 29 years I realize I ve got the brass ring in life We ve been through our share of struggles but when we got together it was a very good thing and he is the love of my life At 70 years young Tom Dugan s playlist is far from finished Only time will tell what song comes next 20 Granddaugter Kelly with dog Buddy Tom in London 2013

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