Community leader dies

Armon E. Kamesar, 7328 Country Club Drive of La Jolla, died on Dec. 11 of congestive heart failure.

Kamesar was actively involved in public service, including serving as president of the San Diego Food Bank in the early 1970s, a board member of Neighborhood House, president of the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, chairman of Citizens Oversight Board of the California Highway Patrol and chairman of the Audit Committee of the San Diego Employees Retirement System from 2007-08. He also served as chairman of the Federal Emergency Management Administration for San Diego, dedicated to providing emergency food and shelter to those in need.

Born in 1927 in Milwaukee, Wis., he graduated from Oklahoma A&M then joined his father’s meat packing business as a cattle buyer in the Chicago Stock Yards.

In the 1960s, he joined the stock brokerage firm Loewi & Co, managing the branch office for the North Shore suburbs of Milwaukee. In 1970, he and his family moved to Jamaica, West Indies, to own and operate a small hotel in Sign, Jamaica.

He moved to La Jolla in 1973 where he founded American States Leasing, later taking it public. For the last 35 years, he was involved with Vistage International, serving as chairman of several groups, and working with more than 60 CEOs as mentor, facilitator and coach.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Barbara, son Adam and five grandchildren. His son Daniel predeceased him. A memorial gathering will be held Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010, 2 p.m. at the Faculty Club at UCSD.