Tom Cassidy

Met at: Hemingway village in The Villages Met date: 2025-03-18 Location: The Villages, FL Primary Village: Hemingway Relationship: Friend Connection: Memphis Last interaction: 2025-03-20 (Extended conversation about business background)

Contact Information

• Lives in: Hemingway village in The Villages

Personal Background

Tom Cassidy is a retired seafood business owner who moved to The Villages with his wife Mary Lyn ("MeMe"). Tom built a successful seafood distribution business in Memphis that evolved from American Seafood to Cassidy Foods, and later merged with Off The Dock Food. The business grew from a small operation with just two people delivering fresh seafood in their cars to a significant company with dozens of employees and multiple facilities.

• Has worked continuously since age 10-11 (started delivering newspapers)
• Catholic upbringing, attended Catholic school
• Before retiring around age 70-71 (he's now approaching 77), Tom sold his business but continued working with the new owners for several years in a consulting capacity
• Strong appreciation for the United States after seeing other countries
• Values family legacy and intergenerational connections

Health Context

• 76 years old, turning 77 very soon
• Has arthritis in his hip and spine
• Getting knee surgery on March 25th, 2025
• Recently received an injection in his back for pain relief

Family

• Wife: Mary Lynn (nickname MeMe) Cassidy
  • MeMe is a Eucharistic minister in the Catholic Church
  • Very organized, detail-oriented
  • Corrects Tom frequently (according to him)
  • Handled bookkeeping for their businesses
• Three sons (Mike, Steve, and Tommy) who all worked in the family business before pursuing their own careers
• Son Tommy now works with Corky's BBQ in Memphis, appearing on QVC to sell their products
• Step-grandfather to Johnny Rapp (JRAP)
• Has grandchildren (mentioned telling them to attend church)

Living Situation

• Lives in Hemingway village in The Villages
• Has a one-story home suitable for entertaining
• Has a table that seats eight people and a nice lanai
• Chose not to buy a larger house despite having the means to do so

Business Expertise

Tom has extensive experience in building and growing businesses:

• Seafood Distribution: Built a business that supplied fresh seafood to restaurants throughout Memphis, personally convincing reluctant restaurant owners to try selling fresh fish by offering to demonstrate preparation and provide tableside tastings.

• Ice Sculpture Supply: Developed a side business creating clear ice blocks for professional ice carvers, including sponsoring teams that competed in international ice carving competitions.

• Food & Wine Industry Connections: Served on the board of a prestigious international food and wine organization, helping plan high-end dining events at luxury venues across the country.

• Distributor Relationships: Worked closely with major retailers like Kroger, developing strong business relationships throughout the food distribution industry.

Interests & Hobbies

• Golf: Learned to play golf after moving to The Villages, enjoys playing several times a week when his knee permits
• Wine Collection: Knowledgeable wine collector and enthusiast, member of several exclusive wine clubs
• Food & Culinary Arts: Deep appreciation for fine dining and culinary expertise
• Travel: Has traveled extensively both for business and pleasure, including a seven-week road trip out west and a drive of 80,000 miles to the Canadian border in Washington State and back
• Hosting social gatherings: Annual Kentucky Derby party (had 88 people attend)
• Catholic faith and spirituality
• American patriotism/national pride

Perspectives & Philosophy

• On Business: Believes in building relationships, understanding customer needs, and constantly adapting. Views quality and innovation as key competitive advantages.

• On Technology: Sees AI and automation significantly transforming industries within the next decade, particularly in food service. Believes high-end, service-oriented businesses will continue to need skilled human staff.

• On Retirement: Questions the need for expensive vacations when living in The Villages is "already a vacation." Focuses on maintaining health through regular walking and golf. Appreciates The Villages as "a really nice place to spend your waning years."

• On Politics/Relationships: Values respecting others' views regardless of political differences. Maintains friendships with people of varying political perspectives.

• On Family/Religion: Strong traditional values centered on family, religion, and patriotism. Believes family units are crucial to society and worries about their diminishing importance. Encourages spiritual practice in younger generations ("I don't care where you go to church... just go to church").

• On Healthcare: Critical of pharmaceutical companies ("They don't have incentive to cure disease").

• On Longevity: Discusses with his wife the potential for extended lifespans through advancing medical technology and AI developments.

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-03-20-conversation-with-tom-cassidy	2025-03-20	Extended conversation about business journey, retirement perspectives, and technology insights

Recent Interactions

• March 18, 2025: Brief 15-minute chat at his home at 11:30am
• March 19, 2025: Boat trip on the Dead River with Daniel and Debra Sledd, Gary, et al.
• March 20, 2025: Extended conversation with Gary about business background, perspectives on technology and retirement.

Notes for Future Conversations

• Tom has extensive food industry connections that might be valuable for business insights
• His experience building a business from scratch to successful sale could provide lessons for entrepreneurs
• His perspectives on automation and AI in the service industry align with potential technology opportunities
• He expressed interest in simplifying his wife's financial management duties through technology
• His storytelling ability and communication skills are exceptional (he briefly mentioned doing radio announcing when younger)