T.R. Hathaway and his wife, Sallie, recently established the Betty Jo and Thomas R. Hathaway Memorial Fund at the PACF to honor the legacy of T.R.’s parents, who founded Superior Toyota. The family has a long history of supporting the Mid-Ohio Valley, and the new unrestricted fund is designed to provide flexibility in responding to the community’s evolving needs.

“My parents took tremendous risks to start Superior in 1973, and they always believed in supporting the people around them,” Hathaway said. “Creating an unrestricted fund to honor them was a natural fit. It allows PACF, whom we trust, to direct support where it can do the most good, forever.”

Superior Toyota and the Hathaway family are longtime supporters of the community through PACF, beginning with a gift to the David A. Couch ALS/Neuromuscular Disease Fund in 2005 and continuing through annual sponsorships of the Foundation’s Give Local MOV campaign. Over the years, their contributions have totaled nearly half a million dollars, benefiting hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the region.

“Giving back to our community was always a top priority,” Hathaway added. “For years, we gave to baseball teams and other causes, but it often felt scattered. In 2014, my dear friend and PACF board member, Curtis Miller, connected us with Give Local MOV, and it became clear that every nonprofit believes their mission is the most important—and they’re all right! I wanted a way to help all of them.”

After selling the family business in the summer of 2025, the Hathaway family saw an opportunity to create a lasting impact through the PACF. The flexibility of the unrestricted fund ensures that PACF’s leadership and Board can respond to the region’s changing needs—whether in education, mentoring, recovery, health, or homelessness.

“This fund strengthens our community, serves our neighbors, and leaves something for the next generation,” Hathaway said. “People could spend their money or do any number of things with it, but choosing to leave something that nourishes our neighbors and the next generation is the greatest reward. My parents, and even my grandparents, believed in giving back—my grandparents served through their local church and civic organizations, always putting the community first. We want this fund to carry forward that same spirit.”

Hathaway, a lifelong believer in the value of love and service, often cites his favorite movie, Forrest Gump: ‘I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is.’ He said it’s a lesson for everyone, especially young people, about the importance of compassion, generosity, and investing in others.

The Betty Jo and Thomas R. Hathaway Memorial Fund represents not only a tribute to family and faith but also a tangible commitment to the long-term vitality and well-being of the Mid-Ohio Valley.