JOHN F. MAHER

MAHER--John F., 69, suffered a heart attack and died Saturday, October 13. He was the retired President and Chief Executive Officer of Great Western Financial Corporation and its principal subsidiary, Great Western Bank, a federal savings bank. Mr. Maher was named president in September 1986 and became chief executive officer at year-end 1995. He was a Director of the Company from 1976-1997 and served as Executive Vice President-Finance from 1973-1976. Great Western Financial Corporation merged with Washington Mutual effective July 1997. Before rejoining Great Western in 1986, Mr. Maher served as a Managing Director of Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb from 1979-1986 in charge of that firm's west coast investment banking. He previously held the positions of Executive Vice President, First Vice President and General Partner at Blyth Eastman Dillon & Co., Inc., beginning with its predecessor firm Eastman Dillon, Union Securities & Co. Mr. Maher earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, where he was named a Joseph Wharton Fellow. He also held a bachelor's degree from Menlo College in Atherton, California. He most currently served on the board of directors for Columbia Funds in Minneapolis and formerly served as Chairman of the Board and member of the Executive Committee of Trout Unlimited. He was formerly a director of Baker Hughes, Inc. (Houston), of the Seligman Investment Companies (New York), and of a variety of philanthropic organizations. Amongst others, Mr. Maher belonged to the following clubs: Bohemian, Bear River (Utah), Brook, Clove Valley Rod and Gun, Knickerbocker, Blind Brook and Mashomack. Mr. Maher, a native of California, was known to be exuberant and entertaining with the ability to communicate with everyone. He was an avid bird hunter and fly fishing enthusiast (fresh and salt water) who adored his three dogs and, most importantly, he will be remembered as a loving husband to his wife Helen and the father of four, Edward J. Maher II, Elizabeth Purdum, Helen C. Maher and Michael S. Maher. No funeral service is planned. A memorial service will be held in New York in January. For those who wish, donations may be made to the ASPCA or Ducks Unlimited.