John Hollis Gleason

John “Jack” Hollis Gleason passed away peacefully at 84 following a short illness. Jack loved people, planning, figuring out systems and how to get through them, and helping others, and used them all to his advantage as he built a successful career in homebuilding throughout the Southwest. He did everything with a combination of hard work, kindness, warmth, and humor that made him lifelong friends wherever he went.

Jack was born January 26, 1941 in Evanston, Illinois to John Hollis Gleason and the former Delphine Foley. He spent his earliest years in Highland Park before moving to Santa Barbara with his mother. There, he attended Bishop Garcia Diego High School, making life-long friends. After matriculating at University of San Francisco, he transferred to the University of Southern California and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management in 1964. During his time at USC, he was active in the Sigma Chi Fraternity where he was the Fall 1961 Outstanding Pledge and the Trojan Knights where he served as President in Fall 1963.

While at USC, he met Elizabeth Louise Young, better known as Betty Lou. They married the next year and shortly thereafter had their first child, Robert.

Following graduation, Jack tried his hand at a number of endeavors, including marketing, franchise ownership (he and Betty owned and operated an IHOP in La Cañada Flintridge), customer service (for the new hotel and residential development at La Costa, where Jack and Betty welcomed their second child, Hollis), and commercial real estate (founding HGS with college friends and developing multifamily residential projects in Glendale). During that time, Jack and Betty lived in Pasadena, La Costa, Alhambra, and San Marino, where their third child, Carlyn, was born.

In the mid-1970’s, he joined Frank H. Ayres & Son, a third-generation homebuilder based in Orange County, and relocated his family to Newport Beach. Over his years with the Ayres Family, he oversaw the planning and construction of thousands of homes from Valencia to San Ysidro, eventually moving back to La Costa to run the southern division of the company.

In the 1980’s, Jack served as President of All American Asphalt based in Corona and later the Lomas Santa Fe Group. Jack put the California contractor’s license he had obtained years earlier to use as he founded White Oak Homes and pursued independent development projects. During that time, he was also the publisher of Executive Health Report newsletter that he purchased from his stepfather.

In 1986, Jack was asked to assume the leadership of a master-planned development in Phoenix Arizona known as The Foothills, a joint venture of Del Webb Corporation and Burns International, and he and Betty relocated to Paradise Valley, Arizona. He impressed the joint venture partners at Del Webb so much that they hired him shortly thereafter as Executive Vice President of Project Planning and Development, a position he held until the company was sold to Pulte Homes in 2001. During his time at Del Webb, he was responsible for all acquisition, planning, and development of Del Webb’s traditional and active adult master planned communities. This included Sun City and Anthem branded communities in Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, Florida, South Carolina, and California.

In addition to his contributions to business, Jack was an active civic volunteer with a special focus on youth and economic development. He was proud to serve two terms on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. He was a strong believer in the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and their transformative impact on youth in the communities in which he lived. His over 40 years of dedicated service was acknowledged by the San Dieguito Boys & Girls Clubs with the Award for Exceptional Service, by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix with the Phillip A. Fingerhut Spirit Award honoring character, courage, and commitment, and by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley with the Cal Johnson Award given to “recognize exceptional contributions, visionary leadership, and outstanding commitment to ensure the operational success of the clubs,” noting that “your support makes a world of difference to our youth, clubs, and community.” His lifetime commitment culminated in being awarded the National Silver Medallion by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as well as being named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley’s 2024 Gala Legacy Family Honorees.

In retirement, Jack and Betty moved back to California, first to Newport Beach and later to Thousand Oaks. Right before the pandemic, they moved to independent living at University Village Thousand Oaks, where Jack’s illness recently necessitated his move to assisted living in memory care.

Over his life, Jack enjoyed time on his boat or the golf course, collecting Western art, listening to his favorite music (especially Neil Diamond), and spending time with family and friends. He was a member of Newport Harbor Yacht Club for over 40 years and also enjoyed membership at Paradise Valley Country Club and the California Club.

He and Betty created special memories during family vacations. With their children, they spent many Thanksgivings and Easters at Rancho de Los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Arizona, and later travels included cruises to Alaska and Mexico, and trips to Las Vegas and Ireland.

Jack and Betty waited many years for grandchildren and then welcomed seven within eight years. Once they began arriving, Jack said his mission statement was to create memories, and – as with all things in his life – he met the challenge. The family vacation focus switched to the grandchildren, with weeks spent at Disneyland, La Costa, and annual stays at the Family Vacation Center at University of California Santa Barbara for many years.

Jack is predeceased by his parents, sister, and many dear friends. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Betty, as well as their children and their families: Robert Gleason and Marc Matys and their children Maxwell and Chase; Hollis (Gleason) Ryan and her children Jack, Sienna, and Finnigan; and Carlyn (Gleason) and Andy Suriano and their children Sebastian and Dominic. He leaves a legacy through them, through the business colleagues he mentored, and through the countless individuals whose lives he touched through his volunteer leadership.

Private services are pending. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley.