Jewish Leader in West Found Dead in His Auto

Jack Findling, whose full name was Jacob B. Findling, president of District No. 4 of the B’nai Brith and one of the most prominent Jews in the West for many years past, was found dead here in his automobile by two men who notified the Sheriff’s office. An officer said Mr. Findling had apparently been dead from five to seven hours. He told the Jewish Daily Bulletin correspondent that the deceased had succumbed to natural causes; that there was no suggestion of foul play.

Mr. Findling had taken his car out of the garage at 9 a.m. in the morning and his friends did not see him alive again. The machine with his body was parked at a curb in a residential section in the southeastern part of the city. The news of his death came as a great shock to his wide circle of friends and associates.

Mr. Findling was born in Poland fifty years ago and came to the United States as a youth. After spending several years in Chicago, he came to Salt Lake City in 1908 and entered the dry goods business, being one of the principal owners of the well-known Boston Store at the time of his death.

Mr. Findling had been a moving spirit in intermountain Jewish organizations almost from the first. He had much to do with the founding of the Salt Lake Jewish Community Center Association and was its first president. He had also been president of the Congregation Montefiore and at the time of his death was on the board of trustees of the Congregation B’nai Israel. As District Grand President for the B’nai Brith, Mr. Findling gave generously of his time and talents, and only recently he made his annual visitation to the lodges in the district, which extends as far as British Columbia, Canada.

The nearest surviving relatives are the widow, two daughters, a son and three grandchildren.