Distinguished businessman, Jewish community leader

In 1991, Robert M. Shrayer saved the insurance company his family had led for nearly 60 years, Associated Agencies, leading him to reorganize and move the company to its present location in Rolling Meadows.

Company executives had discovered an employee was embezzling money, leaving the company with $20 million worth of claims and little capital to pay them.

"Everyone told us to file for bankruptcy," says Max Shrayer. "That would have been the easier path to take, but my father refused to do it."

Instead, Mr. Shrayer re-mortgaged his home, sold some of his own assets and streamlined the company to rebuild the business, keeping his employees and customers in the process.

"My father had many shining moments," his son says, "but that was his defining moment, in my opinion."

Mr. Shrayer died Thursday. The former Highland Park resident and Rolling Meadows business leader was 75.

Colleagues are mourning his passing, both in the insurance industry and in the wider Jewish community, in which Mr. Shrayer had served as prominent Chicago area community leader.

He served as chairman of the Jewish United Fund-Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago board of directors, both from 1979 to 1981 and again in 1998, and as chairman of its Jewish Community Relations Council from 1981 to 1984.

Nationally, he chaired the United Jewish Communities' annual campaign in 2001 and 2002, and he played an active role in mounting American support for the state of Israel during the Palestinian terror war.

He wrote about a solidarity mission that he accompanied to Israel in 2000, in one of many articles he wrote for the Jewish United Fund's monthly newspaper.

"Even though we have held dozens of community rallies, placed ads in major newspapers and participated in numerous conference calls in America," Mr. Shrayer said, "the arrival of so many national and federation leaders in Israel at this time has been an eloquent expression of our concern, compassion and solidarity."

In his business life, Mr. Shrayer followed his father in to the insurance business. Max Shrayer started as a junior partner with Associated Agencies in 1932, before his son joined him in their Chicago offices, in 1956.

The family tradition now will continue, as Mr. Shrayer's son, Max, who had been an executive vice president, now will succeed him as president.

"My father was also a great father and grandfather," Max Shrayer says. "As busy as he was, in business and the community, he never lost sight of what was really important."

Services for Mr. Shrayer were held Sunday.