1968
The son of farmers in California’s Salinas Valley, Thomas Fanoe ’68 rose from humble beginnings to become a trailblazing executive, spending nearly 30 years at Levi Strauss & Co., where he ascended to the role of president of the Levi’s brand in the U.S. After retiring from Levi’s in 1998, Tom turned to his family’s business, Sturdy Oil Company, as well as business development consulting and managing the disposition of his family’s historic farm on Fanoe Road in Gonzales. Tom died on June 5, 2025, and is survived by brother Neil Fanoe ’64, cousin Aaron Fuqua ’98, and step-daughter Megan Sheppard ’97.