Tommy Boals, an avid motorcyclist and businessman who appeared on the cover of East Cooper Magazine (precursor to Mount Pleasant Magazine) 25 years ago, posing with a group of fellow bikers, died in February at age 74. Boals rode motorcycles for 30 years and owned a 1992 FXR Harley he nicknamed “Southern Attitude” and later, a 2001 Road Glide Harley. He started the family business, Mount Pleasant Lawn & Tree Service, in 1976 and retired in 2020 after 43 years.
His wife Karen said that riding motorcycles served as a kind of healthy release for Boals that “cleared his mind.” His cherished riding spots included the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon. “Tommy loved to ride in the mountains,” recalled Karen.
He also loved giving back to the community. The charity he championed most passionately through his riding was Toys for Tots. In 2001, Boals and his friends organized a local charity event to raise funds for the spouses of fallen 9/11 firefighters from the New York City Fire Department Engine 33/Ladder 9. They arranged an auction with donated items and printed shirts commemorating the occasion. Boals was instrumental in helping make the fundraiser happen, even buying the first auction item that launched the benefit, which ultimately raised $15,000. Boals rode to New York with some friends in early November 2001 to personally deliver the donation to the department and meet with firefighters as part of a “Ride for Our Fallen.”
Leave a Reply