1945 to 2025
Tom Doyal, long time member of Austin Prime Timers (since 1991) and good friend to many of us, passed away on March 29, 2025. Tom was such an important part of Austin’s LGBTQ community. In 1986, he started Liberty Books, the lesbian and gay community bookstore. That was such an advance for Austin. He also started a publishing company called Liberty Press. And he was the attorney for the Gay Rights Lobby and an attorney in private practice. And he was partners with Dr Tom Smith. For years he was THE gay attorney for our city and helped many with wills and estate planning. He was often the featured speaker on panels about the legal issues of being LGBTQ. In 2023, at the Thirty-fifth Anniversary Dinner, Prime Timers presented its one-time Liberty Award to Tom Doyal for a life of service.