Jack Winston Londen

Londen, Jack Winston
July 27, 1929 - January 14, 2015. Jack Winston Londen passed away peacefully in his home on January 14 surrounded by his wife, Lynn, sons Jack and Ron, and several family members. He will be remembered for his energy in business, his passions for politics, faith and philanthropy, as well as his steadfast friendship to so many. He was 85. "He was a hard-nosed businessman and a soft-hearted friend," remembers Larry Hostetler, founding minister of Chaparral Christian Church, whom Jack recruited in 1969 to come to Arizona as youth minister of First Christian Church. "He was more excited about leading someone to Christ than about making a business deal. And he was very excited about making deals." In every realm, Jack Londen was a natural salesman. As a young boy during the Great Depression, he sold homegrown raspberries and blackberries from door to door in Boulder, Colorado. By the time he was in high school, he had saved enough money for the down payment on a Texaco station in Boulder, that he owned for several years - selling more than his share of tires and batteries. While in college at the University of Colorado, he began to sell life insurance, becoming so successful that he convinced himself he didn't need the college degree. And indeed, he was that entrepreneur who never applied for another job. After moving to Arizona in July 1962 with his wife, Doris "Dodie" Londen, and four small sons, Jack founded Arizona Trust Life Insurance Company in 1963. For the first full year of the insurance company's business, Jack was the only salesman and Dodie was the home office staff. Son Tom joined the company as a salesman in the 1970s, rising to become president at age 28 while his father remained chairman until his passing. Tom passed away on March 3 of last year after a battle with cancer. Jack bought and consolidated over 25 other insurance companies over the years. His group of companies now includes Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company, Londen Land Company and Londen Media Group, which includes AZ-TV among its stations. Today, Lincoln Heritage is the nation's leading provider of final expense insurance, operating in 49 states with a home office staff of more than 270 and thousands of agents around the country. "Every time I thought I knew everything about Jack, he'd come up with something I had never seen before," says Larry Schuneman, president of Londen Companies. "He was a master salesman. And he was like a second father to me." Jack's impact on politics in Arizona will not be soon forgotten. He was active in the "draft Goldwater" committee on the early 1960s, and a fixture in Republican politics ever since. In 1978, he sought the Republican nomination for governor. Once it became clear on primary election night that he would fall short, Jack drove to the campaign headquarters of his opponent, Evan Mecham, and placed a Mecham bumper sticker over his own - a gesture of unity remembered for years within the party. He went on to serve for 12 years on the Republican National Committee, a post he left voluntarily so Dodie could run for state party chair. With Jack at her side, she served a key role in reviving the party and restoring its financial stability. By the time Dodie stepped down as party chair for health reasons in 1997, Republicans held every statewide elected office. Dodie Londen passed away in January 2006. Jack led and contributed to the founding and support of many churches over the years. He became a regular attendee of South Phoenix Missionary Baptist Church, and a personal friend of its senior pastor, Reverend Bernard Black. "When Jack and I met, we just bonded," remembers Reverend Black. "It became an eternal friendship. Jack became my best friend in the world." Together, Londen and Black founded "Learn and Earn," a summer reading-incentive program for inner-city youth. Children were given a few dollars for every book they read, after meeting with volunteers to discuss what they had learned from the books. Londen's involvement was more than financial. "Jack and I used to walk the neighborhood and knock on doors, inviting kids to join the program," Black recalls. Over the years, former participants have come back to the church to talk about how the program changed their life - gave them the confidence to go to college and earn a degree. The Learn and Earn program still continues. In 2005, Londen, along with Barry McMurtrie, started the Londen Institute for Evangelism, which today trains evangelists on campuses throughout the country, with students coming from all over the world. Jack Londen is preceded in death by his first wife, Dodie, his sons, Tom and Larry, and his brother, Don. He is survived by his wife, Lynn, his brother Bill and his wife Betty of Denver, Colorado, and two sons; Jack and his wife Kathleen of San Francisco, California, Ronald and his wife Christine of Charlottesville, Virginia, as well daughter-in-law Cheryl of Phoenix and daughter-in-law, Ronda of Lakewood, California. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and a list of colleagues and friends far too numerous to mention. A public memorial service will be held at Chaparral Christian Church at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale.