John William Mathews

John passed away peacefully on July 3, 2022, surrounded by his loving family and a few close friends. Born in Orange, CA on August 19, 1954, John silently and courageously battled cancer for nearly 8 years. His will to survive, stamina, and positive outlook were an inspiration to all that knew him, including his doctors.

A native Californian, John attended UC Berkley majoring in history before transferring to USC, where upon he stumbled into the insurance industry at age 19. As a very successful insurance salesperson, he quickly rose up the corporate ladder. In the mid-90s John relocated from California to Phoenix, Arizona where he founded ComRisk Insurance.

John was an innovator in the Self-Funded insurance space and grew ComRisk into one of the largest Stop Loss GAs in the country. And to this day, the model he created continues to be the industry standard. ComRisk was purchased by BenefitMall in 2006 where John continued his leadership over the Self-Funded Division team while also serving on a number of corporate advisory boards.

A gifted storyteller and adventurer, John embodied the phrase, Carpe Diem. He loved cool cars fast boats and traveling. He worked hard (and smart) and surrounded himself with the right people to share his success with, spreading good will along the way. He believed strongly in the power of karma and that your actions towards others would always come back to you. John took great pride as a business mentor, and nothing pleased him more than seeing his friends, family and business colleagues succeed.

John was genuine and forthright. He was frank, outspoken, quick witted, and the first to send you a (handwritten!) note when he felt a compliment was due. He was a very gregarious person who always made life fun for those lucky enough to be in his company.

A man of many talents, hobbies and interests, John found his greatest peace near the water’s edge and often referred to it as his happy place.

John had a devout love for his family and friends, bringing them along for the ride and squeezing out as much fun as possible out of every experience. “Creating memories” was John’s motto. He was a true gentleman, with a big personality and a magnetism that drew people in. John cared about everyone’s wellbeing and made those that came in contact with him feel special.

John is survived by his loving wife of 22 years, Allison, daughter Gabrielle (20), stepson Cain Carroll, brother Charles (Sarah), sisters Janet Wood, Nancy Bartle (Mark) and his mother Margaret Mathews. He is preceded in death by his father Bruce Mathews. John will be greatly missed by nieces Christine, Melissa, Lilly, nephews Gregory, Miles, Alex and Nick as well as mother-in-law Patricia Baglieri (Joseph), sister-in-law Laura Lukmann (Erik), countless cousins, aunts, and the entire MORK family.

A private celebration of life is scheduled for August.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a modest donation be made to an animal shelter of your choice.