Bartgis twice served as president of the California Association of Collectors.
05/17/2023 12:30 P.M.
1.5 minute read
Ewing David Bartgis, former president of Collection Consultants of California (CCOC), died on April 30, 2023, at the age of 81.
Bartgis was born on April 23, 1942, and was the youngest of three children. He was raised in Downey, California, where he lived until 1997 when he and his wife Marilyn A. Bartgis moved to Palm Desert, California.
Bartgis began his tenure at American Financial in 1981, just prior to the company’s rebranding as American Agencies. He served as the head of the collections division at American Agencies until 1987, when he acquired a 50% stake in CCOC and became vice president. Bartgis assumed the role of president and majority shareholder of CCOC in 1992, where he remained until his retirement in 2017.
Throughout his career, Bartgis maintained an active role in the collections industry, serving as president of the California Association of Collectors (CAC) on two separate occasions. He was also involved in various committees, including those for ethics, bylaws and political action, within both the CAC and ACA International. As a result of his extensive experience and dedication to the industry, Bartgis was widely recognized as an influential figure in the field of collections.
Bartgis is survived by his sister Linda (Bartgis) Jenks and her husband Michael Jenks; significant other Beverley Lawson; daughter Deborah L. (Bartgis) FitzSimmons and her husband Kevin; daughter Pamela J. (Bartgis) Cardona and Matt Logan (a brother from another mother and father!). He also leaves behind many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Bartgis is preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn; his parents, Myda and David; his sister, Joan (Bartgis) Schell and her husband Vic Schell, and his brother-in-law, Fred Wagner.
Bartgis stated several times in his final months, “I lived my life; I had a GREAT one.”
A family service to celebrate his life will be held on May 27, 2023, at Christ Presbyterian Church in Goodyear, Arizona.