Frederick J. England, CPCU, a well-known and well-regarded member of the Massachusetts insurance industry passed away peacefully on July 4th. He was 86.
Born in Lynn on June 15, 1931, he was the son of Frederick J. England Sr. and Marjorie A. (Norris) England. Spending his childhood in Saugus, Mr. England graduated from the Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass., and received his BA from Dartmouth College. He also received his MBA from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School of Business. After graduating from college, he served in the Navy for two years before eventually joining his father’s insurance agency and beginning his long career in the Massachusetts insurance industry.
In addition to leaving behind his wife, Valerie, of 63 years, Mr. England also leaves his three children Jennifer Decker and her husband Gary of Lynnfield, Mass., William England and his wife Sarah of Hopkinton, N.H. and Hilary Cross and her husband Brian of Newmarket, N.H.; eight grandchildren, two great grandchildren and three nephews.
A noteworthy career carrying on the family business
The Insurance Library Association of Boston posted a tribute to Mr. England, who was a Trustee Emeritus, on its website.
According to the ILAB, Mr. England began his career in both the insurance and banking industries in 1956, after leaving the Navy to join his father’s agency, the W.B. Hastings Insurance Agency. Two years after joining the family business, his father suffered a heart attack and Mr. England took over the leadership of the agency.
In 1966, the agency merged with the Tapley Agency of Danvers, with Mr. England then becoming the Chairman of the Hastings-Tapley Insurance Agency. Int he 1970’s, Hastings-Tapley also acquired Mr. England’s father-in-law’s agency, the Walter H. Wilcox Insurance Agency of Woburn. As a result of that acquisition, he also assumed the head of the Tanners National bank in Woburn, an entity also founded and operated by his father-in-law Walter Wilcox.
As Chairman of Hastings-Tapley Insurance Agency, the agency grew to become one of the largest insurance agencies in the country. Mr. England served as the CEO of the Hastings-Tapley Insurance Agency until his retirement in 2003.
According to the Insurance Library, Mr. England was an active member of the insurance community throughout his entire life serving in the following positions during his career: “President of the Independent Insurance Agents of America, Chairman of the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, Chairman of the Insurance Institute of America, Chairman of Insurance Institute at Northeastern University, Director of Insurance Services Office, Inc., President of the Insurance Library Association of Boston, President of Intersure, Ltd., as well as in many other key roles on insurance boards and advisory committees.”
According to various sources, Mr. England’s hobby was his work, and thus, lived a long, happy life doing what he loved. In Mr. England’s obituary, his family requested the following:
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association
www.alz.org, Spencer Memorial Fund at RiverWoods, 5 White Oak Dr., Exeter, NH, 03833, or the Insurance Library in Boston, Mass., www.insurancelibrary.org. Visit www.kentandpelczarfh.com for more information and to sign an online guestbook.
