ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – John Jurkens once said that he had “no business being in business.”

The founder of Octopus Car Washes, who lived in Albuquerque since 1969, grew his empire into 30 car washes in eight states at its height – despite having a background in art, not business. He died at age 90, on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013.

“He really was a pioneer for the car wash industry,” said Ray Morton, Jurkens’ longtime accountant. “Many people admired him for what he was trying to do and really tried to emulate the system that he developed.”