Jess Benjamin Latham, III

Jess Benjamin Latham III, “Benny”, age 77, died May 23, 2024.   

Memorial services will be at 3:00 pm, Saturday, June 15, 2024 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Amarillo, TX.  Arrangements will be by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors with a celebration of life to follow at the Latham home.

Mr. Latham was born September 27th, 1946 to Jess and Kay Latham Jr. in Amarillo.  He married his loving wife of 56 years Connie Conway Latham on May 25, 1969 in Austin, TX.   He graduated from Amarillo High School, later attending The University of Texas and West Texas State University where he received a BA degree in business.  

He began his career in the farming and cattle business in 1970, and in 1972 he formed National Livestock Insurance Agency which he continued to own throughout his career.   In 1973, he joined his father in the crop insurance business which had been founded by his grandfather Jess Latham Sr. in 1926.   He became the vice president in 1976 of Producers Lloyds Insurance Company, and over the next two decades, along with his father and brother, Larry Latham, expanded the company into forty states with over 350 employees.  Upon his father’s death in 2003, Mr. Latham became president and CEO of the insurance operations under the name ProAg.  Under his direction, along with his brother Larry and two sons, Benson and Brandon, they built the company to be the sixth largest writer of crop insurance in the United States.  The company was sold to CUNA Mutual Insurance Group in 2009.  In 2015, he was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Crop Insurance Industry.  He continued to work up until his death serving as a founder and President of Advanced AgProtection.

Mr. Latham was honored with the Texas Tech Louise Evans Bruce Award for Excellence in medical education after being appointed by former Governor Mark White to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and later to the National Association of Governing Boards for Colleges and Universities.   He also gave back to the community in which he lived by serving as a board member or director on many local, state, national and international committees including Plains National Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, National Crop Insurance Services, The American and International Associations of Crop Insurers, Harrington Regional Medical Center, the Amarillo Research Foundation, the Amarillo Hospital District, as well as the Don & Sybil Harrington Discovery and Cancer Centers.  He was a former Sr. Warden and member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Amarillo, a founding member of The University of Texas Club in Austin as well as member of the Amarillo Country Club, Amarillo Club and Indian Wells Country Club in California.

He loved golf, UT football, hunting, fishing and traveling the world to relish in all of these passions. He and Connie enjoyed blending wines from their vineyard in Argentina and sharing these bottles with family and friends each year.  His most precious gift was his family and the love and joy they brought to him.  

He was preceded in death by his parents; Jess Latham Jr and wife Kay; and sister Linda Latham Hare.  

Survivors include his wife Connie of Amarillo, TX; Benson Latham and Joanna Patton Latham of Ft. Worth, TX; Brandon Latham and John Hicks of Amarillo, TX; Jessica Latham Brooks and Ryan Brooks of Oceanside, CA; and three grandchildren Arch Latham of Chicago, IL, Julia Latham and George Latham of Fort Worth, TX; brother Larry Latham and wife Leigh Ann of Amarillo; and four sisters Sally Latham Lawler of Austin, TX, Debbie Latham Corbin and husband Dale of Duncan, OK, Pam Latham and husband Tommy Dick of Amarillo, TX, and Patti Latham Sadler and husband Bill of Austin, TX.

The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity or to the St. Andrew’s Church Columbarium Fund.