John J. Flieder, a veteran direct marketer and educator who specialized in insurance marketing, died of cancer on June 30 at age 71.
The Direct Marketing Education Foundation (DMEF) honored him in May be establishing the John Flieder Fund.
Born in Bremerton, VA in 1936, Flieder graduated from San Jose State University in 1957, then served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He earned a master’s degree in marketing communications from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and also graduated from the Advanced Institute of Advertising Studies at Northwestern University.
He joined Allstate Corp. in 1962, and worked there for 33 years in various roles, eventually heading up marketing support for the company’s sales force.
While at Allstate, he persuaded the top three automobile manufacturers to install airbags as standard equipment, according to the Sonora Union Democrat. He also coordinated a national seat belt campaign featuring test dummies named Vince and Larry, the Union Democrat continued.
After leaving Allstate in 1995, Flieder co-founded The Callahan Group, a marketing consultancy. One of its large clients was American International Group’s personal casualty lines insurance division.
Flieder served as a director of the Direct Marketing Education Foundation and the Association of National Advertisers and as vice president of the nonprofit Columbia City Hotel Corp.
He is survived by his wife Barbara and four children: Jerry, Susan, Karen and Julie, and by several grandchildren.
At Flieder’s request, there will be no funeral. Contributions can be made to the Visiting Nurse Association-Hospice of the Sierra, 20100 N. Cedar Road, Sonora, CA 95370, or the Inpatient Dialysis Fund at Sonora Regional Medical Center. The Flieder family started that fund and raised $75,000 for the cause after his stay there in 2007.
