Thomas “Tom” Clyde McNeil

Year Inducted: 2022

Tom was born in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on February 5, 1941, to Joseph Clyde McNeil and Ruby Dianna Huffman McNeil. He was one of nine children who grew up striving to make ends meet in the 1940’s and 50’s.

In his mid-teens, Tom began working for a local tire business, and with no personal means of transportation, he either walked or “hitched” a ride to work each day. Eager and quick to learn, it wasn’t long before he was able to open up his own business in 1980, known as “Tom McNeil Tire” & “Tom’s Used Cars” located in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. There, he changed many tires and made countless friends for more than 60 years before his death in 2016. Tom was known for his impeccable character, integrity, kindness and generosity, which helped his business thrive. His word was his bond and his handshake was stronger than a notarized note- a simple man, but a first-class gentleman. He was a selfless man who wanted no gratitude or glory for his many acts of kindness done for his community, family, friends, and for his legacy.

Loving the Lord, his wife, family and Corvettes was this man’s character. Life was never dull around this quick witted, fun loving energetic man. After purchasing his first Corvette in the late 1960’s for $1,200, he became hooked. The knowledge and expertise for classic Corvettes that he acquired over the years became part of his career, leading him to become an avid collector the rest of his life. He was also a charter member of the Foothills Corvette Club and was well known across the United States and other parts of the world for his Corvette collection. In addition, he was a longtime sponsor of Wilkes County Tee-ball teams and an active member of Purlear Baptist Church where he enjoyed weekly church visitations along with being a youth leader for several years. In 1999, he founded the Purlear Baptist Church Car Show and Faith Rally.

Tom didn’t expect any recognition for the things he did to help out the community. It wasn’t until his death in 2016, that his family became aware of some of the outstanding things he had done that he had never talked about. During his funeral and visitation, numerous people came by to pay their respects, several of which would mention, “this one time I was hard up on money and Tom gave me a set of tires and would let me make payments” or “he gave me a free set of tires because I couldn’t afford any”; however, one instance stands out greater than others. A younger lady came through the line and was very upset. When she got up to the family she told his wife, Barbara, of the time she was in a domestic violence situation and had managed to escape with the intention of going to her mother’s who lived near the coast. She knew her tires were low on air, so she stopped by the tire shop for air in order to hopefully make it to her mother’s safely. While she was there, Tom asked her in general conversation where she was headed since she had a small child in the car. She told him her situation and where she was going. In her words he said to her, “Little Lady, you can’t make it to the beach with those tires,” so he gave her a new set of tires to ensure they could it make it to their destination safely. Throughout that evening and many times since, the family has heard many stories of his generosity and helping others in our county. This was Tom’s genuine character, a man that truly cared about people, no matter their financial status, or how well they were “known”. He loved people, his community, and never wavered from helping his fellow man and never boasted of his good deeds.

Tom McNeil left behind an upstanding legacy that will be remembered for years to come.