James Hallowell hailed from an auto dealer family. He also followed in his father's footsteps with his philanthropic work. Photo via Brett Hedrick

A long-time Fresno business owner died last week, leaving behind a legacy of success among local auto dealers.

James Hallowell, former owner of Hallowell Chevrolet, died on Jan. 31 at the age of 90.

Hallowell’s father, Dennis Hallowell, founded the dealership in 1944 in downtown Clovis. Dennis purchased six acres of land on Shaw Avenue in 1965 and built the dealership where it stands today as Hedrick’s Chevrolet.

James was a member of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and recipient of the 1995 Leon S. Peters Award. Hallowell was a good friend of Leon S. Peters and saw him as a mentor.

In 2000, Hallowell retired and sold the dealership to Bill Hedrick, who started working at Hallowell Chevrolet as a parts delivery person in 1959.

Bill’s son, Brett Hedrick, is the current owner of Hedrick’s Chevrolet. Brett worked with James Hallowell and learned many important lessons from him.

Brett said the Hallowells played an outsized role in serving their community, with that spirit rubbing off on the Hedricks.

“He was a huge business mentor to me. He instilled in me on how to treat both employees and customers. That’s what made him so successful — he never took the human element out of any business or transaction of any kind,” Brett said.

James was born in Brawley, California, on July 25, 1933, relocating to the Valley with his family at age 1.

His father Dennis bought the franchise rights to a local Chevrolet distributor after the owner died in 1944.

James grew up helping around the family dealership and started working there full-time after graduating from Fresno State in 1955.

In 1957 he married his high school sweetheart, Coke. They went on to have two daughters — Joell Hallowell and Elise Hallowell Moir.

Elise and Joell started working at the dealership in middle school, working as show room receptionists and washing parts bins as well as cars.

Elise said they couldn’t have asked for a better father. He was a good man who truly believed life always gets better. He never looked back but always forward, she said.

She said her father left big shoes to fill when it comes to service. He had a lifelong commitment to helping others.

“We are so proud of everything he did for the community. We just hope that we can even be a little like him in giving back,” Elise said. “If the community gives to you, you have to give back. He really believed that.”

The giving spanned generations. James credited his family’s philanthropic spirit to his father, who he said was not a man of great means but was always very generous in the community.

Back in 1995, James was already talking about the trajectory of future growth of the Central Valley — and heeding the community’s responsibility to future generations.

“I feel with all these property rights, we have commitments and obligations to future generations and to our neighbors. And so, we just can’t do anything we want,” Hallowell said in a video interview with the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.

The Hallowells’ philanthropic causes include the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, where Coke served as president.

They also supported the Fresno Art Museum and Fresno Philharmonic.

He was also a charter member of the Fresno Business Council, founded in 1993 as a way for business leaders to tackle complex economic and social issues in the community.

The Hallowells were both avid bicyclists known for taking cycling trips through Europe.

In his 1995 interview, Hallowell said he wants to be known for having a good life and loving his family, work and community.

“What more could you ask for?” Hallowell said.