Kenneth A. Puller

Kenneth A. Puller, 84, died on May 21st at his home in Carmel, surrounded by his loving family. Well-known as an innovative leader in the national, state and Indianapolis real estate community, he was an optimistic visionary who continued to work up to the last day of his life. Puller was owner and president of Indianapolis-based Monarch Management and Realty, Puller Mortgage Associates and The Puller Group, Inc., a nationally diversified full service real estate organization that has been synonymous with the multi-family housing industry for more than 40 years. His companies have financed, developed or managed more than two and a half billion dollars of multi-family housing projects. Under Ken’s leadership, Puller Mortgage Associates became the first co-insuring lender in the nation to be approved by HUD under its Section 221(d) and Section 223(f) multifamily co-insurance programs, and Puller Mortgage Associates was honored by INC magazine in both 1987 and 1988 as one of the 500 fastest growing private companies in the U.S. Ken’s accomplishments include being appointed by the New York Housing Development Corporation to underwrite and ensure two bond issues for properties in New York City and co-insuring the tallest retirement service center in the U.S., located in Chicago. His companies also financed apartment communities throughout Indiana and the United States. Always on the lookout for innovative ways of doing business, Puller worked with U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Homebuilders Association to create the mortgage co-insurance market. He also created the concept of issuing tax-exempt bonds to finance multi-housing projects. As owner of The Marott in Indianapolis, Puller was responsible for restoring and renovating the historic hotel into apartments in the early 1980s. He was honored by Mayor Bill Hudnut and the Near North Development Corporation for his dedication to this project. He also was a developer of Canal Commons on the city’s downtown canal. In his final days, he continued to work on the development of the Fishers Water Park and Phase II of Foxfire Apartments in Lafayette. A sought-after keynote speaker at national real estate and housing conferences, Ken served as a director of the National Association of Home Builders and as a member of its Capitol Club. He also was a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and the National Council of Multifamily Housing Industry. Puller was a state committee chairman of the Home Builders Association of Indiana and received a number of awards for his dedication to and support of the housing industry. For many years he was a Grand Award Sponsor of the Indiana Builders Convention. He was also a member of the Indiana Apartment Association, the Affordable Housing Association of Indiana and the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. Ken was born in Chicago to Arthur and Dorothy Rife Puller. He attended grade school in Clinton, IN, Davis Park Junior High in Terre Haute and graduated from Gerstmeyer Technical High School, where he played basketball with the famed Andrews brothers. From an early age, he always had big dreams for the future and supported himself by making deliveries for drugstores and later, by working as a cashier at A&P Food Stores. He earned his degree from Indiana State Teachers College (now Indiana State University), where he was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity and where he met his wife of 62 years, Reva Dee Ray. While in college, he took a real estate class and caught the real estate bug. After graduation he went to work for Holiday Home Builders in Terre Haute, then moving on to J.B. Pfister Company, where he sold real estate and developed subdivisions. In 1961, Ken took a job as an appraiser for the Federal Housing Administration, now known as HUD, and the family moved to Indianapolis. He worked his way up and served as Chief Underwriter. Puller worked as a regional manager for American Mobile Homes in 1968, developing mobile home parks. From 1969 to 1972, he served as regional director and vice president of the Foundation of Cooperative Housing, where he was responsible for the development of thousands of housing units in the central U.S. In 1973, Ken and Reva formed Monarch Management & Realty, Inc., and in 1976, Puller Mortgage Associates, Inc. In addition to his business pursuits, Puller was a generous and active member of his community. A lifelong Republican, Ken was a member of the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle Senatorial Commission and met Presidents Gerald Ford, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. He was a proud 50-year member of the Millersville Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite Cathedral and the Murat Shrine. As a member of the Shriners’ Highlanders, he played bagpipes in Indianapolis 500 Parade for many years. He sponsored numerous Carmel Dad’s Club athletic teams and team dinners. An avid reader of business books, mysteries and Westerns, Ken was forever learning and studying. He also loved to have fun, play cards, throw parties, play pranks and dance. He was known for his rendition of The Twist, and he never let his ailments slow him down. Ken showed his love and appreciation for friends and family by treating them to parties and to dinners at his favorite restaurants, including The Glass Chimney. Ken is survived by his loving wife, Reva; daughters Kathleen Campbell and Kendra (Ken) Schultz; son Kenneth (Tressia) Puller; six grandchildren: Shelby and Clayton Campbell; Kenneth and Kyra Schultz; and Dalton (Jasmine) and Preston Puller; and brother, Anthony (Faye) Puller. He is preceded in death by his brother, John Paul (Beverly) Puller. Visitation and funeral services will be held at Flanner Buchanan - Carmel, 325 E. Carmel Dr., Carmel. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 26th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, with funeral services on Wednesday, May 27th at 10:30 am at the funeral home. Ken will be interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in Riley, IN on Wednesday at 2:00 pm. In keeping with Ken’s list of “firsts,” his funeral will be the first to be held at the funeral home since the lifting of the Co-VID stay-at-home order. Those attending visitation and services are asked to wear a mask and write down their favorite memory of Ken to share with the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Masonic Home in Franklin, IN, or the Shriners Children’s Hospital.