Kenneth T. Wessner, former chairman, president and chief executive officer of ServiceMaster, a leading supplier of management services to healthcare facilities, died last week at his home in Naples, Fla. He was 71.
The cause of death was cancer, ServiceMaster executives said.
Mr. Wessner joined ServiceMaster in 1954 and later founded its Health Care Management Services unit, which now serves more than 1,300 healthcare facilities.
In 1975, he was named president and CEO of the Downers Grove, Ill.-based company. He served as chairman from 1983 until retiring in 1990.
Mr. Wessner's achievements as a leader in healthcare management led to his induction into MODERN HEALTHCARE's Health Care Hall of Fame in 1992.
"Ken Wessner was a strong leader who was also a mentor and friend to many of us in ServiceMaster," said ServiceMaster Chairman C. William Pollard. "He was a developer of people, always looking to the future and always seeking to honor the God he loved."
Mr. Wessner is survived by his wife, Norma; two children; and seven grandchildren.
