Thomas Forkner was born on June 14, 1918, in Hawkinsville, Georgia and died on April 27, 2017.

He as an American businessman, lawyer, and notable senior golfer.

Forkner was the co-founder of restaurant chain Waffle House, which consisted of 1,553 restaurants as of February 5, 2009.

He was the fifth of seven children of Ben and Bessie Forkner; his siblings include Louise, Lawrence, Catherine, Ben, John, and William.

He graduated Young Harris Junior College before getting a law degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law.

Tom was the son of a real estate agent, he practiced law until called to serve in World War II.

Then, Tom took over his father’s real estate firm, working in Avondale Estates, Georgia.

During the 1940s, he married wife Martha, with whom he shares three children.

Since 2007, he lived in Duluth, Georgia.

Tom Forkner passed away at 98 years old.