Former Tennessee Insurance Commissioner Neff Dies

November 30, 2009

Former Tennessee Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner John C. Neff has died in Nashville. He was 85.

An obituary posted online by Crawford Mortuary & Crematory stated Neff died last Wednesday, following a short battle with cancer.

Neff retired in 1994 as chairman of Pinnacle Care Corp., a nursing home and rehabilitation clinic company that he helped found in 1986.

Neff served as commerce and insurance commissioner from 1979 until 1986 under the administration of former Gov. Lamar Alexander.

He was president and CEO of Hospital Corporation of America -- now HCA, Inc. -- beginning in 1973.