Dave Thomas

David "Dave" Thomas (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 2002) was the founder of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, and was its chief executive officer (CEO). He never graduated from high school, but did earn his GED in 1993.

Dave Thomas
Thomas in 1998
Born	Rex David Thomas (1932-07-02)July 2, 1932 Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	January 8, 2002(2002-01-08) (aged 69) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Cause of death	Neuroendocrine cancer
Resting place	Union Cemetery Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Businessman, philanthropist
Years active	1953–2002
Known for	Founder of Wendy's
Spouse	Lorraine
Children	5, including Melinda
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Years of service	1950–1953
Rank	Staff sergeant

Thomas is also famous as a commercial spokesman for his company. He first appeared in a Wendy's TV commercial in 1989, and by the time he died, he had appeared in over 800, including every Wendy's commercial that aired in the 1990s.