July 31, 2008
Community Hospital mourns the loss of its first leader, Thomas E. Tonkin; no services planned at this time
Contact Name: Brenda Moore
Contact Phone: 831-625-4544
Alternate Phone: 831-625-4505
Email: brenda.moore@chomp.org
Thomas E. Tonkin, Community Hospital ’s first chief executive and the man responsible for developing its renowned healing environment, died on Wednesday at his home in Monterey. He was 82.
Mr. Tonkin served the hospital for 47 years; 35 as its top administrator, five as president and CEO of Community Hospital Foundation, and seven as president and CEO of Community Hospital Endowments.
“Tom Tonkin was the true visionary for what Community Hospital has become,” said Jay Hudson, a member of the hospital’s board of trustees and Mr. Tonkin’s successor as president and CEO from 1990 to 1998. “He created an environment that raised the spirits of all who entered the hospital's doors.”
Mr. Tonkin arrived in 1955 as administrator of Community Hospital ’s predecessor, Peninsula Community Hospital in Carmel. Faced with its antiquated facilities in scattered buildings, Mr. Tonkin launched an ambitious fundraising campaign to build a new hospital. The effort won the support of Samuel F.B. Morse and his Del Monte Properties Company, which donated the 22 acres of pine forest on which the hospital stands today.
In six years, generous supporters contributed $1.75 million to build the new hospital. When it opened in 1962, the 100-bed, 210,000-square-foot facility was just what Mr. Tonkin had envisioned: A hospital that didn’t look like a hospital.
With its private rooms, extensive use of natural light, and coastal forest setting, it promoted a calming, healing environment.
The intent, Mr. Tonkin said in a 1965 interview, was “that people coming to it would perhaps be free of some of the fears and anxieties usually attendant on hospitalization — they would have their fears assuaged to some extent by a rather informal, beautiful, relaxing, quiet residential atmosphere.”
Designed by world-renowned architect Edward Durell Stone, Community Hospital has been honored with state and national awards for excellence in architecture. While Community Hospital has grown over the years, the design elements championed by Mr. Tonkin are reflected throughout the expansion.
Before coming to the Peninsula, Mr. Tonkin received a bachelor of science degree in public health and a master’s degree in public health and hospital administration, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He was assistant to the director of the National Commission on Financing Hospital Care at the American Hospital Association in Chicago; an administrator at Cowell Memorial Hospital in Berkeley; and an administrator with UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. He also was a Navy veteran, serving from 1944-46.
While at Community Hospital , Mr. Tonkin was an active member of numerous professional organizations and held leadership roles with the American Hospital Association, the Association of Western Hospitals, and the California Hospital Association.
From the beginning, Mr. Tonkin recognized the importance of volunteers and advocated the creation of the dedicated group known as the Auxiliary. He worked closely with the organization over the years, and when he retired as CEO, the Auxiliary established a $100,000 endowment in his name to aid patients in financial need.
After retiring as chief executive of Community Hospital in 1990, Mr. Tonkin became president and CEO of Community Hospital Foundation and its endowment and property companies, responsible for community relations, financial support, and construction among other activities. In 1995, he became president of Community Hospital Endowments, a position he held until his retirement in 2002.
On the occasion of his 45th anniversary with Community Hospital in 1999, the board of trustees paid tribute to Mr. Tonkin for his longevity and leadership, saying:
“As the longest-serving employee in the history of the hospital you are still blazing new trails and contributing to its success. As the founder of the hospital in its current form, you implemented a creative and discriminating vision of an organization dedicated to excellence in every endeavor. No single person has done more to shape Community Hospital , to define its high standards, or to ensure that it has adequate resources to carry on its vision well into the future.”
Mr. Tonkin’s survivors include his wife of 53 years, Florence; four children; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Sheila. There are no immediate plans for a service.
