Courtney Harold Nason

Courtney “Corky” Harold Nason died peacefully July 9 at his Lake Quivira, KS home, at age 85, after a valiant fight with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. He was a beloved husband, father and grandfather, highly respected CEO and founder of Nason Associates, empathetic philanthropist, committed Christian, pilot, Rotarian and wonderful friend.

Corky was known broadly by all as a great storyteller and a cockeyed optimist. He had the gift of a photographic memory, which offset his life-long challenge with dyslexia. He also taught his family and friends financial wisdom and supported numerous people as they advanced their education and careers. Additionally – for all who knew him, he loved cars and Volkswagen beetles “bugs” were his passion. He placed events in his life by the cars he owned and bought his children and grandchildren their first used car when they turned 15 or 16.

He was a father and grandfather who loved to assemble the family together. Friends were also drafted in for gatherings, often at a favorite location in the Rocky Mountains, the U.S. Southwest or a beach somewhere.

The Nason nuclear family, which was comprised of wife, Phyllis Adams Nason, daughter, Corey Nason Reese and son, Todd Daniel Nason, was always close with annual vacations and holidays spent together – even into adulthood. From the very beginning, Corky and Phyllis also welcomed and spent time with their siblings and spouses, Patricia Sue Nason Meeks – Captain Robert Benjamin (Pete) Meeks, Dr. Herbert Miles Nason – Betty Bolton Nason, Dan Wayne Adams – Heidi Knight Adams, and folded their nieces and nephews into the family as well.

Continuing this tradition, they lovingly embraced the spouses of their children, Jeff (Corey) and Lisa (Todd). In addition, Corky thrived on building relationships with he and Phyllis’ five grandchildren. He devoted time to each of them individually and traveled extensively to see Corey’s children in Nashville, TN where they reside.

He never missed a grandchild’s graduation and even followed his grandson J. Courtney Reese’s travels across the country with marching band during high school and college. He was an avid supporter of the Linda Hall library, where he and grandson Zachary Nason, regularly attended lectures and events. Granddaughter Zoe Nason was an amateur thespian in Kansas City during her secondary school years and he and Phyllis attended all her performances. Granddaughter Marlow Reese attended KU for her first two years of college and was a regular at their home at Lake Quivira. Grandson Brock Reese accompanied him on a four-day drive to from New Jersey to Kansas City when he purchased a new car in 2017.

Friendships were always a priority for Corky, and beginning in the 1980s, he and Phyllis were part of an amazing group of friends who lived at Lake Quivira. Every year for more than 30 years, they gathered at the dockside of Martha and Dick Chapman on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day for picnics that featured gourmet treats – many of which were prepared by Phyllis, a local cooking teacher. This group not only enjoyed living at the same small lake community, but they shared their Christian faith - under the mentorship of Frank and Barbara Brown, a love of local theater and often traveled domestically and internationally together.

His friendships also encompassed younger generations. When Phyllis had to move from their assisted living apartment to skilled nursing, Corky moved home. Beginning in 2018, every Monday evening, Corey’s best friend (since 1972), Kathy Finlen Simpson and her husband O.J. Simpson, welcomed Corky into their home for dinner. Once the Covid-19 restrictions were in place in March 2020, they became part of Corky’s quaranteaming small group and invited him for dinner four nights a week. Lisa Nason, Todd’s wife, cooked for him the remaining three nights.

Having lived in Kansas City all his life, Corky also had numerous friendships that began in early in his life. These friendships and others were highlighted in the final months of his life, where beginning with the Covid-19 restrictions and continuing up until the day before he died, friends came to visit on the driveway, the deck of his home and in the living room to chat and keep him company. It was always a wonderful environment – full of stories!

Personal Life

Corky was born in Kansas City, KS on July 16, 1934 to Dr. Zechariah Miles and Susie Robinson Nason. His father, a prominent local general practitioner, joined Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the early 1940s and was one of the founders of the Kansas City, KS AA chapter. Corky’s life was shaped by being surrounded by men who were working towards sobriety.

During those years, Corky formed life-long friendships in grade school where together they attended Wyandotte High School , and he graduated in 1952. These men included Robert Stark and James Duncan, who all graduated from Kansas University - Corky in 1956. They were members of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, having followed Corky’s brother, Herb, who was the first to pledge. Those friendships were a tribute to 80-year long relationships.

After graduation, Corky enlisted in the Navy, where he became an officer and served in active duty, 1956-60 on the destroyer, USS Gurke. He continued his naval career in the reserves and retired as Commander in the 1980s. His naval experience as an engineer shaped his entire life, which featured great discipline, some of which he learned in the Navy. Later, there were numerous Gurke reunions, including one at Lake Quivira.

In 1958, he married his college sweetheart, Phyllis and they remained best friends for life, graciously hosting guests in their home and traveling extensively together. They met at KU, and after a stint in navy housing in San Diego and Oakland, they moved to Kansas City, where they initially lived across the street from his parents in Wyandotte County. In 1968, they moved to Lake Quivira, where they built the home in which they would reside together – until Phyllis’ health required a move to Westchester Village in Lenexa, Kansas.

Corky took a strong interest in the governance of Lake Quivira and served on the Board of Directors on various committees. To his great delight he was a volunteer fireman (as long as there were no serious fires!) and led the Boy Scout troop, a highlight that included a 10-day trek through Philmont Scout Ranch with son, Todd.

The Nasons initially attended St. Paul Episcopal in Kansas City, KS. Later they moved to Nall Avenue Nazarene and then beginning in 1983, they followed daughter, Corey to Hillcrest Covenant Church. Corky utilized his financial acumen as he served on financial committees at whatever church he attended.

While Corky’s sister Pat passed away in 1974, he and his brother, Herb, remained life-long friends until Herb’s passing in 2016. Herb and his wife Betty resided in southern Colorado (Betty currently resides in Albuquerque), and the brothers took three annual ski trips together with friends and family members for more than 30 years.

In addition to skiing, Corky was an avid tennis player, beginning in the late 1960s. He and Phyllis played regularly with friends and on trips. He and friend, Dick Chapman played once a week for more than 30 years. Corky – always the organizer – put together men’s tennis groups for decades, served on the Lake Quivira tennis committee and played three times a week until a few months prior to his death.

Business and Aviation

Upon returning from the Navy, Corky was armed with a degree in economics and no job. He was offered a management training program by Aetna Insurance Casualty division focusing on underwriting their Automobile Line of Business. He later accepted a position with Fairfax Underwriters in Kansas City, which was owned by Mann Kline, and he became heavily involved in the Aviation Department focusing on the surplus lines and business with Lloyds of London. Mann Kline was later purchased by Marsh and McLennan.

Having pursued the field of aviation insurance, Corky formed a partnership with Charles McAlear for two years and in 1981, he launched his own firm of Nason Associates Inc. He continued as CEO until his retirement in 2013, at the age of 78. At that time, he passed the ownership and leadership to Linda Joy, President and Lorri Shuey, Senior Vice President - both of whom were with him prior to the founding of the company and later adding Cindy Peck, Vice President.

Corky’s pursuit of aviation insurance coincided with his love of flying. He joined three men in 1969, including friends James Duncan and Alexander Masson, to purchase a Cessna 172 and became a pilot. It was the beginning of a love affair with private airplanes. He took his family and friends on trips across the country and particularly enjoyed flying to the Bahamas. In addition to his Cessna, he later owned a Piper Turbo Arrow and a Seneca III, some of which were co-owned by his close friend James Cooling, who as his lawyer, was instrumental in negotiations during the creation of Nason Associates.

Beyond his aviation business and pursuit of personal flying, Corky was active as an early member of the organization, Association of Independent Aviation Insurers (AIA), where among other offices, he served as president. He worked diligently to establish education programming and to secure accreditation for Continuing Insurance Education. He was also one of the founders of the AIA Education Foundation, which raised funds to promote educational and scholarship initiatives. He was the recipient of AIA’s highest honor, the Pinnacle Award.

Volunteerism and Philanthropy

Volunteering was a natural part of Corky’s life. Early on, he served on the YMCA board of Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, he was active in his churches and at Lake Quivira. In the 1980s he became a member and active participant with the Rotary Club of Shawnee Misssion. He held numerous offices, including president.

Additionally, he enjoyed volunteering with Rotary International, which among other opportunities, resulted in work trips to Jamaica, where he participated in home building projects. However, his most satisfying project was housing a Turkish high school student, Okan Akin, on a Rotary scholarship in 1991. Okan became a member of the family from that time on, with Corky and Phyllis later traveling to Turkey to visit Okan’s family.

Having greatly benefited from his years at Kansas University, Corky went on to serve Alpha Tau Omega, as president of the Corporation Board and as a member of the finance committee.

But his priority in his later years was to help start two awards at KU Medical Center. In 2015, he and Phyllis established the annual Nason Family Award for Excellence in Family Medicine Education. Then in 2019, he completed the funding for the Nason Family Professorship in Family Medicine. With the assistance of Herb and Betty Nason, Corky and Phyllis created an endowed professorship to honor his family heritage of Nason family practitioners, beginning with his grandfather, Zachariah Nason, his father Z. Miles Nason and his brother Herb.

His final project for KU was to help fund a lecture to honor his esteemed economics teacher, Professor John Ise, who retired from KU in 1955. Dr. Ise held national prominence in the middle of the 20th Century for his work on economics and was the author of “Sod and Stubble.”

If a life well-lived is the summation of faith, friends, family and service, Corky was a shining example. His memory was exhaustive and he served as the family “Google” before it existed. His encompassing love, stalwart faith, timely advice and great love of fun will be deeply missed. But we grieve as those with hope that we will see him again.

Corky is survived by his wife, Phyllis Adams Nason, his two children: Corey Nason Reese (Jeff) and Todd Nason (Lisa); grandchildren J. Courtney, Brock and Marlow Reese (Nashville), Zach and Zoe Nason (Kansas City- Prairie Village), sister-in-law Betty Bolton Nason (Albuquerque) and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Patricia Nason Meeks (Pete) and brother Dr. Herbert Miles Nason.

A memorial service will be held in the fall.

Contributions in Courtney’s memory can be made to the following organizations; please indicate that donations are in memory of Courtney H. Nason.

-KU Endowment, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mail Stop 3012, Kansas City, KS 66160, to benefit the Nason Family Professorship in Family Medicine. Online contributions may be made at www.kuendowment.org/give.

-City Union Mission, https://cityunionmission.org/donation-page/

-Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, https://www.drjamesdobson.org/