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Roark;2 (2) American Express, and (3) NCF, the recipient of the
disputed contributions.
David Roark is a lifelong Tennessean (including when he
filed the petition in this case). His life has been marked by
success in business and a consistent devotion to charity. After
graduating from college, he worked for 25 years at United Hosiery
Mill in East Chattanooga, Tennessee. He came to recognize an
untapped demand for fabric dyeing, and in 1982 set out with a few
colleagues to start a business to contract with manufacturers to
dye their fabric. The business, later known as Skyland
International, flourished. Mr. Roark and his wife, who had
tithed their gross income every year for decades, used their
prosperity to increase their already generous donations to both
their local church and other Christian charities. Mr. Roark
became especially generous with both time and money to the North
Chattanooga Camp of the Gideons.
American Express is a well-known financial services company.
One of its subsidiaries is IDS Life Insurance Company. Robert
Pippenger is a Senior Financial Adviser at American Express and
has long served as the Roarks’ personal financial adviser. He
also managed the Roarks’ investments, and knew their financial
goals and inclination toward charitable giving.
2 Mr. Roark and his wife filed joint returns. Mrs. Roark
died in 1999, and he filed the petition both for himself and in
his capacity as executor of her estate.
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Last modified: May 25, 2011