Former Travelers CEO Jay Fishman dies at 63 after ALS battle

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A former Travelers Group chief executive who became a national advocate for Lou Gehrig's disease research after being diagnosed with the disease has died at his home in New Jersey. Jay Fishman was 63.

Fishman became CEO of Travelers' predecessor company in 1998 and assumed the same title after the merger of The St. Paul Cos. Inc. with Travelers Property Casualty Corp. in 2004.

He was diagnosed in 2014 with a form of Lou Gehrig's disease, a terminal neurodegenerative condition also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. He stepped down as CEO last December.

A company spokesman says Fishman died Friday.

Fishman spearheaded philanthropic efforts related to ALS research. He served as co-chairman of the PGA's recent Travelers Championship golf tournament, whose main charitable beneficiary was a Connecticut hospital that provides care to ALS patients.