John James Cummings Sr.

Cummings, John James Sr., 74, a noted civic, cultural, and corporate executive died on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 surrounded by his family. A longtime resident of Albuquerque. Mr. Cummings was born in Topeka, to John Edward and Mary J. Cummings and raised in Blaine, KS, where he was a state recognized star athlete. He was a Korean War Veteran, serving in the US Army. He was a varsity basketball player at Rockhurst College, graduated from Kansas State University and did his graduate work at Emporia State University, Emporia. In 1962, he married his wife of 42 years, Betty Lee Mackey. After graduate school he joined the management training program of New York Life Insurance Co.; he held various management assignments with NYLIC in Wichita; Denver, CO; Midland, TX; Albuquerque, NM and Los Angeles, CA. Under his direction and guidance, it grew into the largest single life insurance office in the United States and one of the largest revenue producing offices in the New York Life organization. In 1989, Mr. Cummings retired from the company. He was elected President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Wichita. He served as President of Wilshire Rotary Club in Los Angeles. In Albuquerque, he was on the Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation and the Catholic Foundation of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and was nationally recognized by the Serra Club. He was a member of 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. Survivors: wife, Betty of the home; daughter, Cindy O'Connell, Dodge City; sons, John and Kevin both of Albuquerque, Timothy, Colorado Springs, CO; 10 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren, who will miss their "Poppo"; mother, Mary J., Blaine; siblings, Dr. Richard J., M.D., and Bill, R.Ph., both of Wichita, Maurice Cummings, Hutchinson, Connie Williams, McKinney, TX and Tom, Blaine.