By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

Mack Meckenstock "redefined retirement" in more ways than one.

Meckenstock, who died Sunday at age 93, officially retired from his lifelong business of selling life insurance when he was in his mid-80s.

And not before teaching his clients about the importance of planning for retirement.

"People are living longer, healthier lives, and retirement does not look to us as it did to our grandparents," said his son, Bobb Meckenstock, who followed in his father's footsteps and now is president and CEO of Mainstreet Securities in Hays.

"My dad recognized that 30 years ago," Bobb continued, "and tried to get (his clients) to save money, reduce spending and accumulate dollars for retirement."

Eventually, all three of his sons, Dave, Bobb and Dan, all joined the family business. Now, Bobb has three sons-in-law working for him, as well as Dave's widow, Mary.

"He was able to evolve in financial services as the financial services industry evolved," Bobb said. "He couldn't rest; he kept going forward."

"He started by driving those country roads at night, selling to farmers," Dan said. "They were small policies, but they were good policies."

Ken Herrman, who has worked for the Meckenstocks for about 20 years, said he learned firsthand how passionate Mack was about his business.

"I happened to be going to the airport in the same taxi as Mack, and he was getting information from the cab driver regarding his retirement," Herrman said. "I was astounded. Mack wasn't shy about talking to anyone; it was just amazing. And he was straightforward, no pretense."

Keith Harper, who joined Mainstreet Securities in 1987, said he would go to Mack, then 62 years old, "as a resource."

"It was really interesting to hear his knowledge of the business," Harper said. "He always loved what he did and always had a comment, and he had an incredible memory. He knew the color of the door he knocked on for his first sale."

"I learned a lot from his philosophy," Harper added. " 'Every time you get a no, you're one step closer to a yes.' "

Mack ended up hearing a lot of "nos" through the years, but there obviously was a lot of "yes," too.

Today, the broker-dealer company that has "started in 1937" on the front of its building at 1407 Main has 15 employees and six sales representatives locally, as well as 75 other registered representatives in 15 different states.

Mack started selling policies for Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. during his senior year at Fort Hays Kansas State College in 1937, and other than for a five-year stint in the U.S. Army, Mack spent his entire career in insurance sales.

He wound up in Hays in 1958 and started selling insurance out of his home.

Mack eventually built a couple of different insurance buildings and moved to another location on Main Street before settling in the former Mammal's grocery store.

All along the way, he held onto current clients while forming new relationships.

"He had a knack for knowing people, and if he didn't know who you were, he could tell you what town you were from by your name," Dan said. "If he didn't know your parents, he knew a relative."

After his wife, Alma, died in 1996, Mack moved in with Dan.

Mack was active until about two years when he broke both his hips, and his fourth child, daughter Lea Bush, a nurse, came home to care for her father's health needs.

"He loved the people, loved the business," Bobb said. "He was financially set and didn't have any hobbies. He just really valued relationships."