The former Pima County supervisor and a two-term state legislator enjoyed helping others.
G.T. "Tom' Alley never forgot what it was to struggle.
Mr. Alley, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors for eight years and a two-term state legislator, turned to helping out poor families in Mexico at the end of a career that included panning for gold, ranching, owning a pool hall and store, dealing in real estate and patrolling the state's highways.
Mr. Alley died suddenly on Christmas Eve. He was 88.
Services were to be held today at 2 p.m. at Tucson Mortuary, South Chapel, 240 S. Stone Ave.
"He was a special guy that gave a lot and cared for people,' said his son, Gordon Alley.
"That's his legacy and I hope I got a little bit of that from him.'
Mr. Alley was born Nov. 1, 1906, and raised on a farm and ranch in Stockdale, Texas, near San Antonio.
When times got rough on the farm, he and two friends headed off to California for work.
In the late 1920s the Depression hit and he headed back toward Texas, but ended up panning gold in the Wickenburg, Ariz., area. He had about 30 mining claims in that area, his son said.
In 1929, Mr. Alley moved to Ajo, where he worked as a butcher for Phelps Dodge Corp. He also opened his own store, Tom's Cash Market.
While there he worked as a highway patrol officer, grocery store owner, real estate agent, rancher and pool hall owner.
On Dec. 13, 1935, Mr. Alley married his wife, Frances, who died in 1993.
In the 1940s, Mr. Alley traded some farm and railroad land to the U.S. government for a 1,000-foot, 740-acre mountain in Ajo.
The mountain, which played a colorful role in the bootlegging days of Prohibition, stood in the middle of the mining community and displayed a giant whitewashed "A' that stood for Ajo.
"My daddy owns that mountain,' Gordon Alley would tell friends.
In 1940, Mr. Alley was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
He re-entered the political fray at age of 65, when he became a state representative. He served from 1972 to 1976.
He ran for office because he believed public service was important, his son said.
But the most important thing to Mr. Alley was taking care of his family and sending his children to college.
One of Mr. Alley's tremendous pleasures came after politics.
He enjoyed collecting clothing and toys in the Ajo area for the families in Libertad, Mexico. He would drive there in his beat-up old truck with the goods he'd collected, his son said.
"He was never a rich man, but everything he did was for his family, and others.'
Mr. Alley was a founding member of the Ajo Chamber of Commerce and Ajo Rotary Club. He was also a member of the Ajo Elks Lodge and Ajo Moose Lodge.
He also held a U.S. patent – for a curtain rod guide.
Mr. Alley is survived by daughters Margaret A. Farrell of Albuquerque, N.M., and Ruth Larsen of Tokyo, Japan; sons Gordon T. and Robert M. Alley, both of Tucson; sisters Zenette Springs of Stockdale, Texas, and Bama Buchanan of Austin, Texas; brothers Joel and Perry of Ajo; and several grandchildren.
G.T. "Tom' Alley never forgot what it was to struggle.
Mr. Alley, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors for eight years and a two-term state legislator, turned to helping out poor families in Mexico at the end of a career that included panning for gold, ranching, owning a pool hall and store, dealing in real estate and patrolling the state's highways.
Mr. Alley died suddenly on Christmas Eve. He was 88.
Services were to be held today at 2 p.m. at Tucson Mortuary, South Chapel, 240 S. Stone Ave.
"He was a special guy that gave a lot and cared for people,' said his son, Gordon Alley.
"That's his legacy and I hope I got a little bit of that from him.'
Mr. Alley was born Nov. 1, 1906, and raised on a farm and ranch in Stockdale, Texas, near San Antonio.
When times got rough on the farm, he and two friends headed off to California for work.
In the late 1920s the Depression hit and he headed back toward Texas, but ended up panning gold in the Wickenburg, Ariz., area. He had about 30 mining claims in that area, his son said.
In 1929, Mr. Alley moved to Ajo, where he worked as a butcher for Phelps Dodge Corp. He also opened his own store, Tom's Cash Market.
While there he worked as a highway patrol officer, grocery store owner, real estate agent, rancher and pool hall owner.
On Dec. 13, 1935, Mr. Alley married his wife, Frances, who died in 1993.
In the 1940s, Mr. Alley traded some farm and railroad land to the U.S. government for a 1,000-foot, 740-acre mountain in Ajo.
The mountain, which played a colorful role in the bootlegging days of Prohibition, stood in the middle of the mining community and displayed a giant whitewashed "A' that stood for Ajo.
"My daddy owns that mountain,' Gordon Alley would tell friends.
In 1940, Mr. Alley was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
He re-entered the political fray at age of 65, when he became a state representative. He served from 1972 to 1976.
He ran for office because he believed public service was important, his son said.
But the most important thing to Mr. Alley was taking care of his family and sending his children to college.
One of Mr. Alley's tremendous pleasures came after politics.
He enjoyed collecting clothing and toys in the Ajo area for the families in Libertad, Mexico. He would drive there in his beat-up old truck with the goods he'd collected, his son said.
"He was never a rich man, but everything he did was for his family, and others.'
Mr. Alley was a founding member of the Ajo Chamber of Commerce and Ajo Rotary Club. He was also a member of the Ajo Elks Lodge and Ajo Moose Lodge.
He also held a U.S. patent – for a curtain rod guide.
Mr. Alley is survived by daughters Margaret A. Farrell of Albuquerque, N.M., and Ruth Larsen of Tokyo, Japan; sons Gordon T. and Robert M. Alley, both of Tucson; sisters Zenette Springs of Stockdale, Texas, and Bama Buchanan of Austin, Texas; brothers Joel and Perry of Ajo; and several grandchildren.
The former Pima County supervisor and a two-term state legislator enjoyed helping others.
G.T. "Tom' Alley never forgot what it was to struggle.
Mr. Alley, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors for eight years and a two-term state legislator, turned to helping out poor families in Mexico at the end of a career that included panning for gold, ranching, owning a pool hall and store, dealing in real estate and patrolling the state's highways.
Mr. Alley died suddenly on Christmas Eve. He was 88.
Services were to be held today at 2 p.m. at Tucson Mortuary, South Chapel, 240 S. Stone Ave.
"He was a special guy that gave a lot and cared for people,' said his son, Gordon Alley.
"That's his legacy and I hope I got a little bit of that from him.'
Mr. Alley was born Nov. 1, 1906, and raised on a farm and ranch in Stockdale, Texas, near San Antonio.
When times got rough on the farm, he and two friends headed off to California for work.
In the late 1920s the Depression hit and he headed back toward Texas, but ended up panning gold in the Wickenburg, Ariz., area. He had about 30 mining claims in that area, his son said.
In 1929, Mr. Alley moved to Ajo, where he worked as a butcher for Phelps Dodge Corp. He also opened his own store, Tom's Cash Market.
While there he worked as a highway patrol officer, grocery store owner, real estate agent, rancher and pool hall owner.
On Dec. 13, 1935, Mr. Alley married his wife, Frances, who died in 1993.
In the 1940s, Mr. Alley traded some farm and railroad land to the U.S. government for a 1,000-foot, 740-acre mountain in Ajo.
The mountain, which played a colorful role in the bootlegging days of Prohibition, stood in the middle of the mining community and displayed a giant whitewashed "A' that stood for Ajo.
"My daddy owns that mountain,' Gordon Alley would tell friends.
In 1940, Mr. Alley was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
He re-entered the political fray at age of 65, when he became a state representative. He served from 1972 to 1976.
He ran for office because he believed public service was important, his son said.
But the most important thing to Mr. Alley was taking care of his family and sending his children to college.
One of Mr. Alley's tremendous pleasures came after politics.
He enjoyed collecting clothing and toys in the Ajo area for the families in Libertad, Mexico. He would drive there in his beat-up old truck with the goods he'd collected, his son said.
"He was never a rich man, but everything he did was for his family, and others.'
Mr. Alley was a founding member of the Ajo Chamber of Commerce and Ajo Rotary Club. He was also a member of the Ajo Elks Lodge and Ajo Moose Lodge.
He also held a U.S. patent – for a curtain rod guide.
Mr. Alley is survived by daughters Margaret A. Farrell of Albuquerque, N.M., and Ruth Larsen of Tokyo, Japan; sons Gordon T. and Robert M. Alley, both of Tucson; sisters Zenette Springs of Stockdale, Texas, and Bama Buchanan of Austin, Texas; brothers Joel and Perry of Ajo; and several grandchildren.
G.T. "Tom' Alley never forgot what it was to struggle.
Mr. Alley, a member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors for eight years and a two-term state legislator, turned to helping out poor families in Mexico at the end of a career that included panning for gold, ranching, owning a pool hall and store, dealing in real estate and patrolling the state's highways.
Mr. Alley died suddenly on Christmas Eve. He was 88.
Services were to be held today at 2 p.m. at Tucson Mortuary, South Chapel, 240 S. Stone Ave.
"He was a special guy that gave a lot and cared for people,' said his son, Gordon Alley.
"That's his legacy and I hope I got a little bit of that from him.'
Mr. Alley was born Nov. 1, 1906, and raised on a farm and ranch in Stockdale, Texas, near San Antonio.
When times got rough on the farm, he and two friends headed off to California for work.
In the late 1920s the Depression hit and he headed back toward Texas, but ended up panning gold in the Wickenburg, Ariz., area. He had about 30 mining claims in that area, his son said.
In 1929, Mr. Alley moved to Ajo, where he worked as a butcher for Phelps Dodge Corp. He also opened his own store, Tom's Cash Market.
While there he worked as a highway patrol officer, grocery store owner, real estate agent, rancher and pool hall owner.
On Dec. 13, 1935, Mr. Alley married his wife, Frances, who died in 1993.
In the 1940s, Mr. Alley traded some farm and railroad land to the U.S. government for a 1,000-foot, 740-acre mountain in Ajo.
The mountain, which played a colorful role in the bootlegging days of Prohibition, stood in the middle of the mining community and displayed a giant whitewashed "A' that stood for Ajo.
"My daddy owns that mountain,' Gordon Alley would tell friends.
In 1940, Mr. Alley was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
He re-entered the political fray at age of 65, when he became a state representative. He served from 1972 to 1976.
He ran for office because he believed public service was important, his son said.
But the most important thing to Mr. Alley was taking care of his family and sending his children to college.
One of Mr. Alley's tremendous pleasures came after politics.
He enjoyed collecting clothing and toys in the Ajo area for the families in Libertad, Mexico. He would drive there in his beat-up old truck with the goods he'd collected, his son said.
"He was never a rich man, but everything he did was for his family, and others.'
Mr. Alley was a founding member of the Ajo Chamber of Commerce and Ajo Rotary Club. He was also a member of the Ajo Elks Lodge and Ajo Moose Lodge.
He also held a U.S. patent – for a curtain rod guide.
Mr. Alley is survived by daughters Margaret A. Farrell of Albuquerque, N.M., and Ruth Larsen of Tokyo, Japan; sons Gordon T. and Robert M. Alley, both of Tucson; sisters Zenette Springs of Stockdale, Texas, and Bama Buchanan of Austin, Texas; brothers Joel and Perry of Ajo; and several grandchildren.
Bio by: Becky G
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