.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
Stock markets recover and failed real estate developments start over; the permanent losses of 2008 were the people who passed away. Central Iowa lost a number of important leaders in the past 12 months, and the Business Record pays tribute to a few of them here.

Ed Boesen was part of his family’s business, Boesen The Florist, but branched out on his own into countless other ventures. His plans for commercial development in his Beaverdale neighborhood pulled him into controversy during the past couple of years. Central Iowa was stunned last summer when Boesen committed suicide.

John Fitzgibbon played a leading role in the redevelopment of downtown Des Moines. He joined Iowa-Des Moines National Bank as vice president in 1960 and retired 20 years later as president, chairman and CEO. A member of the Iowa Business Hall of Fame, Fitzgibbon also served on the Iowa Board of Regents and the Drake University Board of Trustees, and was chairman of the Des Moines International Airport board.

Wayne Fox began his career with Foxbilt Feeds, the company his father founded, and later started Triple “F” Inc. with three partners. Fox took great pride in being the co-developer of a device known as a soybean extruder, which provides an efficient way to unlock the nutritive value of the soybean for human consumption. Fox traveled the world as president of the Iowa Trade Commission.

Charles Gabus ranked as one of the largest automobile dealers in Iowa, with the state’s biggest Ford outlet plus four more dealerships on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines. In the final year of his life, Gabus built yet another dealership in Grimes. A former schoolteacher, Gabus moved to Central Iowa in 1967 to operate a failed Ford dealership in West Des Moines.

Jim Goodman was the driving force behind several Central Iowa businesses. He was the president and CEO of Customer Ease, a marketing research and consulting firm; founded Employer Ease and Creative Entrepreneur Organization; and was the president of The Emerging Growth Group.

Jim Kenworthy joined the family business, Storey-Kenworthy Co., after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II and graduating from the University of Iowa. In 1994, he retired as the company president.

Paul Knapp was a lifelong business partner with his brother Bill, helping to build two successful companies. He was the president of Iowa Realty and later the vice president of Knapp Properties Inc. Knapp served as a director for West Bank and AIB College of Business.

Roger Knapp, the son of businessman Bill Knapp, played professional tennis for several years after college and was once ranked among the top 100 players in the world. Knapp coached the men’s tennis team at Drake University from 1989 through 1994.

Walter Neumann Jr. served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater during World War II, then returned to Des Moines and joined the family business. He retired as chairman of Neumann Bros. Inc. in 1985. He served on the Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission.

Marvin Pomerantz reigned for many years as one of Central Iowa’s leading businessmen and a statewide force in higher education. He joined his father’s bag business, then later started his own company, Great Plains Bag Co. He sold that to Continental Can Co. in 1971 and stayed with the company for five years. Then Pomerantz started a real estate company now known as Mid-America Group. He founded yet another company, Gaylord Container Corp., and sold it in 2002. Pomerantz served twice as president of the Iowa Board of Regents, donated millions of dollars to the University of Iowa and was a member of the Iowa Business Hall of Fame.

John Taylor was named president of Bankers Life Co. in 1982 and oversaw the company’s transformation into Principal Financial Group Inc. During his tenure, Principal added a building to its downtown Des Moines campus and made plans for 801 Grand, the tallest building in Iowa. Taylor retired as CEO after 38 years with the company. He served as president of United Way of Central Iowa and the Des Moines Art Center and chairman of the National Leadership Coalition on AIDS.