Members of the title insurance industry are mourning the passing of a third-generation title company leader and past president of both the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the Texas Land Title Association (TLTA).
Jack Rattikin III, president and CEO of Rattikin Title in Fort Worth, Texas, died on Feb. 9.
“Jack was a devoted leader in the title industry and served with distinction on both the state and national levels,” the TLTA posted on its website. “… Jack’s leadership, dedication, and friendship left a lasting mark on TLTA and on the many people fortunate enough to work alongside him. He was loved and respected by his title industry friends and colleagues, and he will be deeply missed.”
As the third generation of his family in the title industry, Rattikin told The Title Report in 2022 that he had been talking about title insurance for as long as he could remember.
“My family’s been in the title business forever,” Rattikin shared in the interview when he was named ALTA president. “As a young kid, I heard of this thing called title insurance. I didn’t know what it meant, but we talked about it at the family dinner table. I knew there was this thing called closing, and I’d always ask my dad, ‘Did you have any closings today?’ I didn’t know what a closing was but I knew to ask. I kind of learned the business from listening to him.”
Rattikin’s grandfather, Jack Sr., founded Rattikin Title in 1944. Rattikin’s father, Jack Jr., succeeded Jack Sr. as leader and then Jack Rattikin III became president of Rattikin Title in 1999; the CEO title was added in 2004.
Rattikin earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980 and a JD from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1983.
“I got out of law school and my dad offered me a job, and I said, ‘Sure, let’s go for it,’ and here I am 39 years later,” he said in the 2022 interview. “I love the business. I absolutely love it. I love the challenge of it, and I love working with people.”
Rattikin started working at Rattikin Title in 1983 as an abstracter, examiner and escrow assistant. He became an escrow officer in 1985, then was promoted to senior vice president of operations and president in 1999 and president and CEO in 2004.
Even though his father and grandfather had gone into the title business, they didn't pressure him to follow in their footsteps. In an interview for the Trendsetter feature with The Title Report in 2016, Rattikin said the fact that he wasn't forced into the industry made it all the more appealing.
“I knew it was my decision and no one else’s,” Rattikin said. “It was a great decision for me, but I've always been proud of the fact my dad showed me the business, talked to me about the business, but never said I had to go into it. I love the industry. I love the title business. I love the people in the title business. They are good, honest, hard-working professionals, and I'm proud to be part of what I think is a tremendous business, and a great way to assist consumers.”
Leslie Midgley, executive vice president and CEO of TLTA, said that “the importance of legacy was never lost on (Rattikin).”
“Family, tradition, and loyalty were always his sources of inspiration and purpose,” Midgley told The Title Report. “Those north stars led him to excel both in business and as an extraordinary servant leader for the title industry, following in the family footsteps to serve with great distinction as both TLTA and ALTA President. Equally as important as his many accomplishments, though, Jack was just a great guy - caring, humble, and fun to be around. His presence will be deeply missed, but as we grieve his loss, we will also celebrate the legacy of his leadership, and most of all, his treasured friendship.
ALTA CEO Chris Morton observed that Rattikin embodied a generational continuity in the title insurance business.
“The unbroken thread from Rattikin Sr. to Rattikin Jr., and then to Jack Rattikin III will endure in the values and traditions he championed throughout his life,” Morton said. “Jack’s legacy, however, was not defined by lineage alone. He was a trusted friend, a generous mentor and a principled leader whose integrity shaped every room he entered. He believed deeply in the core values that define the title insurance industry. Those of us who had the privilege to work alongside him saw firsthand his humility, his quiet strength and his unwavering dedication to doing what was right. His example will continue to guide our industry for generations to come.”
Frank Pellegrini, president and CEO of Prairie Title Services Inc., said he and his wife, Mary, formed a friendship with Jack and Laura Rattikin through many shared experiences with ALTA.
“The name Rattikin is virtually synonymous with title insurance,” Pellegrini told The Title Report. “Of course, Jack came from a long line of title insurance professionals, but he was not only a careful steward of the family business, he was also a paragon of the values we all seek to model.”
Pellegrini called Rattikin a “devoted family man” to his wife, Laura, children Cameron and Courtney and his siblings.
“We are deeply saddened,” Pellegrini shared. “It is too soon to have to say good-bye to such a great man of integrity and humanity.”
Greg Kosin, president of HBW Title Group, said Rattikin’s personal attributes informed the way he conducted himself professionally.
“He was a leader in the truest sense of the word not simply because of his accomplishments, but because of the way he made people feel,” Kosin said to The Title Report. “He led with integrity. He led with steadiness. And most of all, he led with heart.”
Kosin said Rattikin’s legacy was forged through both his work and the “culture of excellence and kindness he lived every day.”
His impact, Kosin observed, goes far beyond the title insurance industry.
“We are better title professionals because of him,” Kosin stated. “We are better people because of him. I will miss his guidance and his friendship and the lessons he taught me about family, integrity, professionalism and leading with heart.”