Abraham Ehrlich; Insurance Co. Founder

Abraham Ehrlich, 74, founder of Encino-based Western General Insurance Co. The New York City native served in World War II and came to the Los Angeles area in 1948. After working for the U.S. Postal Service and in real estate, he settled into the insurance industry. In 1954, Ehrlich co-founded All Motorists Insurance Agency. Running the agency by day, he studied law at night and became a licensed attorney. In 1971, he created Western General, which has grown from a dozen employees to more than 200 with business in all 50 states. Erhlich served as president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board until his retirement in 1992. On Oct. 3 in Las Vegas.