David Jeff Noble

Mr. Noble was a self-made man with a passion for his employees and the many people surrounding him in both the business world and personally. He valued and was committed to the policyholders and the advisors that called on them. David Noble never did anything in life that was easy. He had an unrelenting desire to succeed, win and relationships mattered. Mr. Noble was known for his tenacious passion to do the right thing. He deeply loved his family, his American Equity work family, and his country and the men and women who served our great nation. He was born December 14, 1931 in Des Moines, Iowa. From a young age, Mr. Noble believed in the value of hard work and that good things would come by surrounding himself with the best people.

Over the course of his more than 60 year insurance career, Mr. Noble rose to the top of the industry twice. Initially he established himself as the chief executive officer of The Statesman Group, where he led their expansion into a full-service financial services company with 21 operating subsidiaries. Eventually, he negotiated the sale of that company and oversaw the leadership transition. After retiring for three days, he founded American Equity in 1995. The company's core philosophies centered on quality customer service and product integrity. He served simultaneously as chairman, chief executive officer, president and treasurer for American Equity until January 1, 2009. Afterward, he remained chairman of the board until his death. During that time, American Equity became a top-tier provider of fixed and fixed index annuity products, employing more than 500 professionals with over half-a-million contract owners across the country. Throughout his prodigious tenure he earned a number of industry honors, including the Ernst & Young Financial Services Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999 for the Iowa and Nebraska regions, and he was inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame in 2004. His life at American Equity allowed him to follow his passion for helping fellow Americans secure their financial future. His dedication allowed many individuals—from his American Equity staff to their valued, independent insurance producers and respected clients—the opportunity to attain their American dream.

Mr. Noble is survived by his children who live in Alabama: Cindy Noble; Jeffery (Rhonda) Noble; and Joni Noble; grandchildren Cody Sapp; Christopher Anderson; Kaitlyn Noble; Elizabeth Anderson; and Jonathan Noble; great grandchildren Caleb Sapp and Isabella Anderson; and former wife of 44 years Barbara Noble. He was preceded in death by his parents Dorothy Hutton Noble and William Noble, and by Thomas Quinn, who raised him. He will be remembered for his passion for life and business and the difference he made in the lives of all the people who knew him. He was an alumnus of Valley High School and Drake University.

A memorial service will be held on May 5, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church at 3702 Mays Bend Rd. in Pell City, AL followed by a lunch at his daughter Cindy’s home. A celebration of Mr. Noble’s life will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, IA.

In lieu of flowers, donations to three charities Mr. Noble was passionate about supporting would be a wonderful tribute to him: the Pell City Christian Love Food Pantry, 205 Edwin Holladay, Pell City, AL; ASPCI (animal rescue), 2631 Martin St. S, Suite 202, Pell City, AL 35128; and the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, 5452 NE 22nd Street, Des Moines, IA 50131. Memories can be shared at [email protected].

Condolences may be offered to the Noble family online at www.kilgroefh.com

Kilgroe Funeral Home – Pell City will direct