WESTGATE STAFF:

Terrence Toon
Facilities Director

terrence@westgatechurch.org

Vitals

Terrence hails from Indiana. His parents, Pete and Dottie Toon, still live in the house in which he grew up. He has three younger sisters. He began a 30 year career in the food business as a pot washer at Indiana University while he was going to school. Not being a terribly disciplined student, he soon found himself working full-time for the Halls of Residence. Quickly understanding that washing pots was not a job with a great future, he learned to cook and studied Food Science. Moving to Minnesota he worked for The Pillsbury Company as a Research Technologist in the Refrigerated Dough Research Division.

He moved to San Francisco, California in 1978 after a few cold winters in Minneapolis and began a career in the restaurant business. Terrence worked for several national companies before joining Marriott in 1986. The Marriott division for which he worked was sold to Sodexho USA in 1997. He continued to work for the new company as the West Coast Project Manager with an emphasis in computer and web technologies. In 2003, he started a new career when he joined the WestGate Church staff.

A Few of My Favorite Things
Books - "I'm a voracious reader. I'm usually reading two or three books at a time and read on the average five or six books a month. I love science fiction, fantasy, history, science, particularly physics and astronomy, and computer/programming manuals. In the past four years I've developed a taste for Christian history, theology, commentaries and the Bible in many translations."

Movies - "My favorite movies include The Miracle Worker, The Lion In Winter, Singing in the Rain, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Star Wars, Episodes 4 - 6 , Hoosiers and The Magnificent Seven."

Music - "If you checked out my CD collection, you would find an eclectic selection of musical styles; Celtic, New Age, Classical, Renaissance, Country, Show Tunes, Disco, and last, but not least Contemporary Christian. On my computer you'll find artists such as Judy Collins, Loreena McKennitt, Brian Doerksen, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Amy Grant.

Fitness - I was not an athlete, growing up. I discovered martial arts when I was 42 and studied Ninja Fuma Ryu, Kenjutsu (Japanese sword fighting), and Hosinsul, (a combination of Hapikdo, Jujitsu and Tae Kwan Do). I advanced to a second degree brown belt before my knees finally gave out! Today I work with a trainer and lift weights and get my heart rate up at least five days a week.

What Ifs
What if you weren't in ministry? "Ministry is my second career! I can't imagine ever leaving it as a profession, though I can flip a burger better than most people!"

What if you could spend time with any famous historical person?
"Leonardo da Vinci was a man with ideas way ahead of his time. Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of English King Henry II, was a powerful woman at a time when women had little power. The Roman Emperor Claudius survived in a family where murder was a regular method of political advancement.. He ruled the Roman Empire during the years Christianity was spreading from Judea. Talking with each of them would offer great insight into the times they lived. The man I would most like to spend time with is C.S. Lewis. I would thank him for his writing and books which formed the foundation for my exploration of Christianity."