John F. Sullivan Sr., National Leader In Field Of Reinsurance
A memorial Mass will be said at 11 a.m. today at Seattle University's Loyola Chapel for John F. Sullivan Sr., a retired national insurance executive from Seattle.
Sullivan, who retired in 1984 as the board chairman of the Farmers Insurance Group, died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a lengthy illness.
Sullivan was locally and nationally known for his work in the insurance field, from serving as a deputy state insurance commissioner to becoming a leader in the reinsurance field.
``He was probably the leading reinsurance executive in the United States some years ago, when he was more active,'' said Dick Bangert, retired chairman of First Interstate Bank and a friend of Sullivan.
``He was a fine, honorable, straightforward individual when it came to dealing with insurance matters and extremely knowledgeable,'' Bangert said.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Sullivan began his work life as an errand boy for a shipping freight line in San Francisco.
His son, John Sullivan Jr., said his father moved to Spokane to work for the Department of Labor and Industries in connection with the early construction of Grand Coulee Dam.
He later joined the state insurance commissioner's office to serve as deputy insurance commissioner to his uncle, Billy Sullivan.
During John Sullivan's less than 10 years in the office, his duties included supervising the Seattle office of the Department of Insurance and drafting a qualification law for insurance agents.
He left state government to join the Frank Burns Co., a reinsurance business. In the early 1950s, he acquired Frank Burns Co. and from it formed John F. Sullivan Co.
Sullivan eventually merged John F. Sullivan Co. with Fred S. James, a large national brokerage company.
Sullivan soon was appointed to the board of directors of the Farmers Insurance Group and became its chairman.
He retired from that post in 1984, but continued to serve as an insurance consultant until his death.
His son John said that while his father was a leader in his field, people were his priority.
``He was a people person and the reinsurance business gave him a chance to meet and know people throughout the western world,'' he said.
After his retirement, Sullivan maintained a home in Seattle, but visited Los Angeles frequently, his son, John, said.
He said his father remained an avid golfer, belonging to Broadmoor and Seattle golf clubs.
Sullivan also was active in politics, both campaigning and contributing, particularly for the late Sen. Henry Jackson.
``He was very proud of Scoop, he thought the sun rose and set on Scoop Jackson,'' he said.
Sullivan was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Yater, in 1977.
He is survived by sons, John Jr., Seattle, Gerald, Los Angeles, and William, Nevada City, Calif.; brother, Thomas, a Jesuit priest, Los Angeles, sisters Betty and Margaret of San Francisco, and Marion, Sonoma, Calif.; 10 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
A funeral Mass was held Friday at Loyola Marymount University.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances are suggested to a favorite cancer charity.