Jack Scanlon

Jack Russell Scanlon, Jr. passed away suddenly from severe cardiavascular disease on July 17, 2015, in Sacramento where he resided most of his adult life. He was born in 1948 in Colorado. Surviving are his beloved family, wife of 18 years, Diane Scanlon, nee DeBlieck, his mother, Dorothy Scanlon of Roseville, daughters Jennifer Scanlon of Sacramento and Jennette Scanlon (Volker Brommann) of Auburn, grandchildren Melyssa Pointer, Evan Lomeli (Katherine), Christopher Lomeli (Sarah), Dylan Brommann, Mattias Brommann, sister Sydney Ann Scanlon-Davis of Sacramento, brother Mark Scanlon (Debby) of Rocklin, and nephews/nieces Neal Davis, Matthew Scanlon, Kyle Scanlon, Jeffrey Scanlon (Cady). He was predeceased by his father, Jack Russell Scanlon, Sr. Jack Scanlon was truly a Renaissance man with an extraordinary range of interests and talents. He experienced the world fully with his limitless curiosity, fierce intelligence, love of nature, wry humor and unflagging dedication to excellence in all of his pursuits. Those who were fortunate to accompany him on some of his journeys are the richer for it. Jack, the visionary health care economist, was instrumental in bringing healthcare reform to both California and the nation. Acting on his deep belief in accessible, affordable and high quality care for all, he was an appointee to the Governor Brown's Office of Special Healthcare Negotiation in the 1980s. He later took his beliefs into the private sector and as a bold entrepreneur co-founded the highly successful company Affordable Health Care Concepts headquartered in Sacramento, a company that created the nation's first PPO which changed the landscape of health care in California. Jack's brilliant analytic skills propelled Affordable's success as he continued as Senior Executive Vice President in subsequent companies including HealthCare Compare and First Health, which was purchased by Coventry Healthcare. Jack, the artist, never stopped learning new ways to express the love he had for beauty. In his retirement he learned to play the cello and performed in ensembles. He created stunning clay pots which he "threw" with his wife and daughter, Jennette. He was a photographer, songwriter, poet and always dreamed of authoring a book, moved to create by the beauty around him. Jack, the outdoor enthusiast, profoundly loved the mountains and spending time at his cabin at Serene Lakes. He swam, sailed, hiked, skied and biked in the Sierra, testing his limits and achieving mastery in all his sports. He was also a gourmet cook much to the appreciation of his family and friends and took cooking classes with his wife and daughter Jennifer, always looking to get new ideas for creative cooking. He was also a book club leader who shared his profound insights while revisiting the classics; a loyal and fun friend to many spanning decades, a loving companion to his two dogs Coal and Sophie. In the 1970s, Jack proudly served his country in the United States Army. Above all Jack excelled in his love and dedication to his family. A memorial service will be held at McKinley Park, Clunie Center Grand Hall, 601 Alhambra Blvd. Sacramento, Saturday, July 25 at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, if you feel the need to contribute, a donation can be made in Jack's name to Sacramento SPCA: https://secure3.convio.net/sspca/site/Donation2?df_id=1320&1320.donation=form1 or Crocker Art Museum.