George W. Lutz

Services for George W. Lutz, founder of Nationwide AcceptanceCorp. and Wix Auto Co., will be held at 11 a.m. today in TempleSholom, 3480 N. Lake Shore Dr. Burial will be in Memorial Park, 9900Gross Point Rd., Skokie.

Mr. Lutz, 76, died Friday in his Bal Harbour, Fla., winter home.

He was chairman of both businesses, while also serving as aboard member with the Illinois Founders Insurance Co.

Mr. Lutz founded Nationwide, 3435 N. Cicero, in 1950 to financecars, appliances and furniture and to make personal loans. In 1966,he formed Wix Auto Co., one of the city's largest used caroperations, at 3401 N. Cicero. In 1981 he acquired IllinoisFounders Insurance, 3425 N. Cicero, which insures real estate. Heserved on its board at the time of his death.

In the late 1980s, the North Side resident stepped down aspresident and became chairman of Nationwide and Wix. His two sons,Marshall and Michael, now hold executive posts with all threebusinesses.

"He was a great philanthropist and loved by everybody who knewhim," said Chuck Glick, president of Wix. `He was one heckuva guy."

Mr. Lutz grew up on the West Side, where he graduated fromMarshall High School. He attended night school at NorthwesternUniversity and married his wife, Lillian, in 1936. During theDepression, he moved to California to find work. There, he becameinvolved in the car business, only to return here in 1939. He workedfor Nelson Chevrolet, where he became a manager, before forming hisfinance company.

During World War II, he served in a U.S. Army Transportationunit.

Among the many charitable organizations he supported were theMultiple Sclerosis Society, Council for Physically ChallengedChildren, B'nai B'rith and Jewish United Fund. He also was on theboard of Sportsman's Park Race Track.

Survivors, besides his wife and two sons, include a brother,Fred; a sister, Muriel Levinson, and three grandchildren.