Fishman was the former CEO of Travelers Insurance, and still was the executive chairman of the board. However, he stepped down from his day-to-day duties last year after announcing in August 2015 he had been diagnosed with ALS.
The company announced his passing, and Nathan Grube, Travelers Championship tournament director, said in a statement:
“All of us with the Travelers Championship are deeply saddened by the passing of Jay Fishman. Jay was an inspiration and a true friend. He was determined to make this event the best on the PGA TOUR and we tried every day to make him proud. We are honored to be part of his vision to support hometown charities, and we will work diligently to continue that work for the future. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife Randy, his family and everyone at Travelers.”
ALS is a degenerative disorder that weakens the body’s muscles.
In mid-July, Fishman said he was in “the later innings” of his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, but wanted to make a difference for others suffering from the neurodegenerative disease by picking ALS charities as the beneficiary of this year’s Travelers Championship.
“Anyone can understand why I feel responsible to be involved to find ways to make ALS patients lives more productive and to advance research initiatives,” Fishman said at the Travelers Championship earlier this month. “But to have so many others who have quickly offered their help and been so generous is something my family and I will always be grateful for – it’s been truly remarkable.”
Fishman was a huge presence at Travelers this year, speaking on many occasions and hosting a fundraising dinner.
“For us to have the opportunity to do this, to be able to partner with the PGA tour with players with the community to do this is just an extraordinary opportunity,” Fishman said earlier this month, before the golf tournament.
Earlier this summer, Grube said, “Bringing these two organizations into the Travelers Championship family of philanthropic causes builds upon our mission to be a platform for nonprofit organizations in the Northeast. After all of the support that Jay Fishman and his family have given to our tournament, we are proud to support him in his efforts to help others who have been diagnosed with ALS.”
