Honoring Tom Love: A legacy of leadership, family and community

Tom Love’s vision and values have shaped Love’s into a nationally recognized brand that represents success, innovation and community impact. From humble beginnings, he was committed to building a lasting business that would support not only his family, but also his employees and the communities they served for generations. Today, with Tom’s children and grandchildren leading the way, Love’s is the only major travel stop network that is family owned and operated and that’s culture is still defined by the man who started it all.

The Man Behind the Brand

Born in 1937 in Oklahoma City, Tom Love’s early life was rooted in the values of family, service and perseverance. He attended St. Gregory’s Preparatory School and St. John’s University before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1954. In 1960, Tom married Judy McCarthy, beginning a lifelong journey that spanned 63 years and would become the foundation of both his family and business. Together, the couple had four children, Greg, Laura, Jenny and Frank – three of whom still lead the company they built.

Love’s First Steps

In 1964, Tom and Judy leased their first service station in Watonga, Oklahoma. What started as a single location quickly grew, fueled by Tom’s entrepreneurial spirit and Judy’s steadfast support. This one store became the seed for a network of over 660 locations across 42 states. Tom’s innovative approach to “highway hospitality” transformed the business from a simple fueling station into a destination for travelers.

Core Values that Shaped Love’s

Tom established five core values that remain at the heart of Love’s culture:

• Focus on the customer 
• Integrity
• Work ethic
• Innovative thinking
• Persevere

These values are more than words – they are a daily guide for every team member and a key differentiator for Love’s in the industry. Tom’s philosophy was clear: “Every customer is important. Every day brings new opportunities. Keep these core values top of mind, keep up the good work and be a difference maker today.”

Innovation and Milestones

Tom was a trailblazer in the travel stop industry, renowned for his innovative vision that transformed a single leased gas station into a company that serves customers that range from professional truck drivers to RV and EV users.

In the early 1970s, he pioneered the concept of combining self-service gasoline with convenience store items including bread and milk in the Heartland. As customers' needs evolved, Tom continued to expand Love’s offerings to cater to them including amenities like quick-service restaurants and truck care. His keen sense for adapting to market changes and commitment to customer service propelled Love’s to an industry leader and redefined what travelers could expect on the road.

Community and Giving Back

Tom and Judy Love cared about those around them. This was evident to anyone who met them, and their enduring legacy of compassion shaped the company they founded. Their commitment to caring for others began with taking care of their team members. This commitment laid the foundation for broader community involvement. Their dedication to making sure everyone around them succeeded helped shape their approach to philanthropy for 60 years. The couple instilled a culture of care in the organization that endures to this day and is being led by their children and grandchildren who lead the way in helping choose what organizations to support.

Below are a few of the organizations that Love’s supports today:

• Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
• Operation Homefront
• St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund
• The United Way of Central Oklahoma
• Oklahoma City Public Schools

The initiatives that Tom and Judy chose to support personally and through Love’s continues to provide critical services, meals and support to people nationwide, embodying their belief in giving back to the communities that support Love’s.

Family and Lasting Legacy

Love’s remains a family-owned business, now led by three of Tom and Judy’s children and with three grandchildren also active in the company. The Love family’s commitment to Tom’s values and vision ensures that the company’s unique culture endures. They continue to guide the company with the same principles of integrity, hard work and innovation that Tom and Judy established over 60 years ago.

Tom’s legacy lives on at every Love’s location and the communities they serve, a testament to a life dedicated to service, family and making a positive impact on the world.