We will send an invite after you submit!
In memory of
John Richard Pellew
-
-
-
-
-
-
In lieu of flowers
In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Photo
John's obituary
John’s loved the water and this love started at a young age growing up in the small coastal town of Warner Beach, South Africa. He loved boating and fishing with his father, Jack. John and his father spent countless hours on the sea where rain, storms, high winds, or choppy seas were never a deterrent. These experiences bonded them and the water for life. There are countless pictures of John and his father with award-winning catches highlighting the many competitions they won.
John and his first wife, Leslie (Wiggill) Pellew married in 1985, the same year he started his career at Credit Guarantee. John viewed this as the springboard for his illustrious and successful career. Soon after Leslie and John moved to Johannesburg they welcomed the birth of their first child, Leanne. Never resting on his laurels, John and Leslie welcomed their second daughter Nicola the following year. A few years later Michael joined the family.
In the beginning of his career John spent many hours in the office, travelling the country and would often come home well after his children were asleep. Back then they did not understand how hard it was to be young and trying to establish yourself in the “big” city, in a new company and in a new industry. Looking back his entire family admired him for how hard he worked to provide the best opportunity for his family.
In early 2000 John took the role of Country Manager for AIG South Africa. Little did he know that nine short months later he would be offered an opportunity of a lifetime, a move to the United States. This was a very tough decision for John and was even more difficult being so far away from his family. Even with the seven-hour time difference he called his mother and his children everyday just to say hello and see how they were doing. When he first moved to the states John did not have a large support system and it was very tough for him. He was essentially starting over at the age of forty halfway across the world. His unrelenting drive and determination got him through, and he quickly established the new Pellew family home in Princeton, NJ.
In 2008 John left AIG to launch a new product line for Zurich Insurance Company. Within three years, John built this team to be one of the largest premium producing XoL units in North America. John’s fierce loyalty, honesty and integrity drove the respect by customers, brokers, colleagues, and competitors alike. These attributes led Euler Hermes to approach him in 2013 to launch their XoL product line in the Americas region. In two short years John’s team was one of the highest premium producing XoL units in the North American market, eclipsing his success at Zurich.
As the patriarch of the Pellew family he was incredibly proud of his children and granddaughter, Lilah Campbell. His team knew so much about Leanne, Nicola, Michael, and Matthew it was as if they knew them for years. He shared similar stories about his colleagues to his family as well. Whenever one would meet a member of the Pellew family it felt as though they knew each other for years, even though it was the first time they had met. If you were lucky enough to count John as a friend, you knew how loyal and genuinely interested he was in you, your welfare and those close to you.
John always stressed the importance of education to his children and supported their educational pursuits. John knew firsthand the toll of having student debt and worked very hard to alleviate this burden for them. John was incredibly proud of their educational and professional accomplishments. Leanne Pellew Campbell earned her Master of Health Science at Saint Francis University and is currently in clinical research at Novo Nordisk. Nicola Pellew Moolman also received her Master of Health Science from Saint Francis University, is a PhD candidate at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and currently employed as biomarker scientist at Bristol-Myers Squibb’s PPD subsidiary focusing on COVID-19. Michael Pellew received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources at Rutgers University and his Master of Science in Sustainable Natural Resource Management at Unity College. His youngest son Matthew Pellew is currently in grade school at The Alpha School, Jackson, New Jersey. For those who knew John, he always went above and beyond for his family and was able to accomplish the goal of reuniting his family in New Jersey.
When John was not working or sharing stories about his children and colleagues he was an avid cycler, runner, and golfer. Before his diagnosis he was training to participate in his first marathon…..at sixty years old! John was also a passionate Formula 1 fan spending countless hours watching the races with his children and bantering back and forth with colleagues on WhatsApp debating the best drivers and racing teams.
John’s family held a small intimate memorial service on September 27, 2020. His friends, family and colleagues held a virtual memorial service on October 8, 2020. There will be an event in the New York City area during 2021 once COVID restrictions are lifted and it is safe to congregate for a celebration of John’s life and memory.
Throughout John’s life he supported St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and was passionate about its mission. In his memory we have organized a memorial fund in John’s name benefiting this worthy charity.
Send to someone
Share this obituary with others
Want to stay updated?
Get notified when new photos, stories and other important updates are shared.
In lieu of flowers
In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Send flowers
Share your sympathy. Send flowers from a local florist to John's family or funeral.
In lieu of flowers
In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Send flowers
Share your sympathy. Send flowers from a local florist to John's family or funeral.
Share this memorial website
How you can help
Share with others
Donate in memory
Created with love by
Todd Lynady (John's friend).
