July 26, 1924 – January 12, 2020
Hugo J. Standing Esq. died peacefully January 12, 2020, at home in Pacific Palisades where he was a resident for over 50 years.
Hugo was born in 1924 at the lovely seaside town of Hove, Brighton, England, the son of Marie and Hugh Standing. At the age of six, he began studying piano, hence music became a lifelong passion. As a teen, he foraged for blackberries on the downs and rode his bicycle for distances of 60 miles along verdant country roads, developing tremendous self-reliance.
Hugo joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 17 and was sent to train in Canada and Nova Scotia. He was a brave, resourceful navigator in the fast twin-engine, wooden Mosquito aircraft, while on recognizant flight assignments over Saigon, Vietnam, Madras, India and other Far East locations. Hugo realized he was so lucky to have survived those dangerous missions including some crash landings and the malaria he contracted during World War II (as he had seen so many of his young friends die). This experience reinforced his devout Christian faith.
After the war, he attended Cambridge University (Peterhouse) and earned his master’s degree in economics. Compound interest and the business opportunities in the United States fascinated him. He also rowed on the river Cam for the Cambridge team and played tennis. And he played piano and horn in his own band, enchanting many dancing audiences with his fabulous music during large New Year’s Eve parties at posh Brighton Hotels.
In 1949, he visited Switzerland and met the love and light of his life, Jean Hope Willis, a pretty Virginian socialite and student at the University of Geneva. He invited Jean and all of her friends to dinner; at this point she knew this dashing Englishman was a true gentleman. So Jean and Hugo danced together and he played the piano while Jean sang the popular show tunes of the 1940s (their life long joy).
Soon Jean returned to Washington, D.C., and Hugo returned to England. He proposed to Jean by the Royal Mail. As Hugo recounted with a jovial chuckle, he arrived in New York City in 1950 an immigrant with 25 dollars in his pocket. He married Jean in Washington, D.C., and accepted a position with Alexander and Alexander Inc., the prestigious insurance brokerage firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and also taught economics at night.
In 1959, Hugo was asked to join the A&A Los Angeles office as vice president where he would successfully merge insurance brokerage companies from Hawaii to Alaska to build the Western Region of A&A, the second largest insurance brokerage firm in the U.S. at the time. Hugo brought many significant accounts like Northrop and Warner Brothers to A&A while working with French aviation firms, Swiss banks and Lloyd’s of London, logging huge international mileage with TWA. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors for A&A with frequent trips to New York City. The business journals reported that he was “the surge” behind the financial growth with “a captivating personality.”
At retirement in 1982 his title was chairman. He remained an advisor for A&A, an acquisition of AON, and started Hugo Standing Inc., an investment advisory firm specializing in life insurance investments and securities. He helped create financial policy and investment strategies while serving on many boards such as Woodbury University, Planned Parenthood, Westlake School, Neighborhood Youth Association and St. Matthew’s Parish, to name a few. Most of all, he was a mentor to many young people and introduced them to their first jobs.
Hugo had a refined taste in culture, poetry, literature and music. His serious intellect was enlightened by his eccentric sense of humor found in his daily life. His dogs were dignitaries in his household. And he had tea time every day, made Indian curry dishes with chutney, English trifles, marmalade and lemonade out of lemons.
He was an optimistic, open minded and resilient man who loved to entertain people at social gatherings with his broad repertoire of piano music from Chopin to The Beatles. To many he was darling, generous Hugo, a caring, helpful friend who created wealth and joy. To his children he was the most attentive, kind father there ever was. Hugo was super active in his church St. Matthew’s Parish and his clubs: the Bel-Air Bay Club, the Riviera Country Club, the California Club, the Oxford and Cambridge Club, and numerous others.
In 1998, all this participation in life suddenly stopped due to complications of heart surgery. Hugo had been prepared to die but he survived and spent his last decades in companionship holding hands at home with his devoted wife of almost 68 years who predeceased him in 2018. (Thank you to Norma Fernandez a remarkable caregiver) Hugo is survived by his daughter, Beverley Standing, son Geoffrey Standing, daughter, Anne Anderson (Steve Anderson) granddaughters, Camille Anderson and Brielle Anderson, brother, Paul Standing (Judith), niece Jane Standing, and nephew Christopher Standing.
A service had been planned at St. Matthew’s Parish for last May 2020 but had to be postponed due to COVID. So for now, at Thanksgiving we honor Hugo Standing’s joie de vivre and celebrate his life in our hearts every day.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
