Roy J. “Jack” Bauer, a longtime reverse mortgage industry professional based in Sierra Vista, Arizona, died this month after a battle with colon cancer. He was 87 years old.
Bauer worked for several lenders during his career, including Security One Lending, American Advisors Group (AAG) and Longbridge Financial. Bauer’s obituary stated that the final year of his life was still spent working in the industry.
“Jack never liked equating a number with his age, but always said he was going to live to be 100,” the obituary states. “Although he didn’t quite make that, he lived a very active life, and surely never seemed as old as whatever number was his actual age. In fact, he was still working as a full-time Branch Manager for Longbridge Financial through most of the past year, in Sierra Vista, Ariz.”
When reached, Longbridge’s VP of National Field Sales Melanie Parks remembered Bauer as a dedicated industry professional.
“An integral member of the reverse mortgage industry in the Southern Arizona market, Jack always instilled a sense of trust with his clients and referral partners,” Parks said in a statement. “He was a man of professionalism – everywhere he went, he was dressed in his 3-piece suit. Outside of work, Jack and his wife, Jan raised Champion Collies. These beloved members of his family often accompanied Jack on his local reverse mortgage events and speaking events, where they’d proudly don a reverse mortgage banner.”
Parks added that Bauer’s absence will be felt by his colleagues and the wider industry.
“Jack is sorely missed by his Longbridge Financial colleagues, many of whom had worked alongside him in the industry for the greater of 10 years,” she said. “We thank Jack for his years of service and offer our deepest condolences to his family and all those who loved him.”
Bauer offered his insight to RMD on multiple occasions, touching on topics such as reverse mortgage borrower education and the home healthcare sector as a potential reverse mortgage industry referral source.
“[Home care providers] look at us as an answer to when their clients run out of money for their care provider services,” Bauer told RMD in 2012. “We do a reverse mortgage so their clients have money to continue the health care services and stay in their own homes. It is a great partnership.”
Bauer is survived by his wife of 49 years, Janice, as well as a stepdaughter, three children, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be interred at Wisconsin Memorial Park in Brookfield, Wisconsin. A private family memorial service will take place in Arizona at a later date.
RMD extends our condolences to Mr. Bauer’s friends and family during this time.
