By R.V. Baugus
I really am not writing more obituaries than normal to share with IAVM members. It just seems that way because most of them that I write are of people I came to know as friends in this amazing industry. Tom Liegler is an anomaly, the man who stood as a pillar in this industry for decades but one that sadly for me I did not really get to know well for one reason or another.
Know ABOUT Tom? That of course is quite a different story and certainly from others I knew about the man and his impact on the public assembly venue industry. It is rare to admire someone from afar, but Tom is indeed for me that exception, someone I would always know as an industry giant.
Against that backdrop, I felt as though I had lost a long-time dear friend when news came of Tom’s passing 
on February 20 at the age of 94 in Palm Springs.
Chris Bigelow, an industry icon in his own right, summed up Tom beautifully: “An amazing guy. Mentor to many of us. Father of the convention center and stadium management associations.” Not much more needs to be said, but then by not doing so I would be depriving many of our readers of the same knowledge of Tom Liegler that I grew to know and respect.
“Most of us have had mentors in our lives that took us under their wings and helped guide our careers,” said Brad Gessner, CVE (pictured alongside his mentor). “Tom Liegler was one of those leaders that I was fortunate to have worked for and learn from during my tenure at the San Diego Convention Center. Mr. Liegler’s career spanned 50 years which began at the original Comiskey Park in Chicago and progressed to helping oversee the design and construction of the Colt Stadium in Houston and managing the Houston Astrodome. From Houston, he moved to Anaheim, CA, where he held the position of general manager of the Anaheim Stadium and Convention Center and where he developed one of the first (and best) service programs titled “THE ANAHEIM WAY”.
“In 1984 he became the general manager of the planned San Diego Convention Center, saw it through its design, construction, and successful grand opening and the first year of operation. He developed the service program “THE SAN DIEGO SPIRIT” which is still considered a model for client and customer service in the convention center industry.
“I encourage everyone to take the time and effort to mentor the next generation and be sure to appreciate and thank those that have mentored you. Thanks Tom!”
To Gessner’s point, Tom was acknowledged as the first recipient of the Convention Center Lifetime Achievement Award, one of his many accolades.
Daughter Tracy Liegler Albrecht said that a service is not yet scheduled but penciled in as Saturday, April 8 in the Rancho Santa Margarita or Irvine area. Further information can be found here.
Tom was born in Racine, Wisconsin, on March 24, 1928, growing up amid four generations of the Liegler family. He enlisted in the Navy in May 1945 at the end of WWII and was stationed in Oakland, California at an airlift base whose mission, “Keep ‘Em Flying”, was to keep men, machinery, and supplies moving across the Pacific. After returning home, he enrolled at Grinnell College in Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Euthenics. At Grinnell, he was a member of the football and debate teams.
Tom married the love of his life, Joyce Langmade, in January 1955 and shortly afterwards began his career with the Waterloo Whitehawks, the Triple A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox (very shortly indeed; Tom and Joyce spent their honeymoon preparing the White Sox spring training facility in Florida, giving Joyce an early initiation into how Tom would combine his love of work, baseball, and family into the energetic and enthusiastic ethos that defined his life). Tom later moved into the management suite of the White Sox, focusing on stadium operations. In 1962, he was hired by the Houston Colt 45’s baseball team, and became a central participant in the club’s transformation into the Houston Astros and the building of the world-famous Astrodome. The peak of his career came in 1965, when he was lured west by Gene Autry, owner of the then Los Angeles Angels, to oversee the design and construction of the team’s sparkling new home, Anaheim Stadium. For more than twenty years – as Anaheim and Disneyland helped make Orange County one of the world’s leading destinations for vacations, conventions and sporting events – Tom directed operations not only at the Big A, but also Anaheim Convention Center, and the city’s two golf courses. Later in his career, he worked as a consultant around the world, on stadium and convention center projects in San Diego, Ontario, Sao Paulo, Sydney, and Paris.
Tom’s love of family and faith was of utmost important in his life. He and Joyce raised three children, Scott, Teri, and Tracy. The Liegler home was lively with pets, scout activities, skit nights, and the family rarely missed an Angels game. His children continued to bless him with spouses and grandchildren. He is survived by his son Scott (Hilary), daughter Tracy Albrecht (Lance) and son-in-law Terry London, as well as grandchildren Laura, Lindsay, Emma, Mhairi and Spencer. He was preceded in death by his wife Joyce and his daughter Teri.
Tom was grateful for his Creator and his strong Catholic faith, his family, and his country which continues to be a land of opportunity.
He will be buried alongside Joyce at Ascension Cemetery 24754 Trabuco Rd, Lake Forest, CA 92630 at a date to be determined.
“May you live all the days in your life.”
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.tridentsociety.com/location/palm-desert-ca for the Liegler family.
