H. Jon Runstad, Seattle visionary, civic leader and philanthropist, passed away on June 20, 2023 after a lengthy illness at his beloved home in the San Juans at the age of 81, surrounded by family. As a prominent commercial real estate developer, Jon's career spanned over 50 years and shaped the Seattle skyline with iconic architecture and design, serving the city's unprecedented growth from a company town to an international hub of innovation and industry. As CEO of Wright Runstad & Company, which he co-founded in 1972 with Howard S. Wright, Jon oversaw the development of nearly 20 million square feet of commercial real estate occupied by tenants such as Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and many others. 

 Under Jon and his team's leadership, WR&C's award-winning portfolio included commercial real estate, government, and medical buildings, stretching from downtown Seattle to Bellevue, Olympia, Boise, Portland, and Los Angeles. Notable Seattle landmarks and projects include the recent redevelopment of Rainier Square, 1201 Third, the former First Interstate building (now DocuSign), the first Bellevue high rises, the original Microsoft campus and more recently, The Spring District in Bellevue. Jon was proud of all his projects, but, as a fourth generation Husky, development of the new Husky Stadium was especially dear to his heart. 

 Jon's pride in his work was hard earned. He valued honesty and integrity and sought partners who could share trust and respect in pursuit of bold projects and big ideas. He was widely recognized as a committed and decisive leader with strong instincts and clear vision for the future of the built environment. He worked hard and expected the same from the company's talented development and management teams, to whom he credited the success of WR&C. Driven by his passion for architecture and the design process itself, Jon developed a multidisciplinary approach to integrate expertise from construction, urban planning, architecture, finance, land use law and real estate.  He loved collaborating with architects, working with global firms such as NBBJ and Kohn Pedersen Fox and other professionals to bring the best thinking from each discipline to WR&C projects. He believed this collaborative approach was essential to future city development and growth. Committed to elevating the professionalism of real estate development, Jon and his wife, Judy, a pioneering Seattle land use attorney, helped fund and establish the Runstad Department of Real Estate within the UW's College of Built Environments. 

 WR&C projects are known for attention to detail in both design and management, often featuring works by prominent artists to enrich the experience of the built environment. Jon was widely recognized as a visionary who captured scale, volume, details and aesthetics as a cohesive whole - a specialty for which WR&C has become known. Throughout his career, Jon sustained an appetite for large, sophisticated office buildings, culminating in the redevelopment of the mixed-use Rainier Square which revitalized downtown Seattle, and thus fulfilled Jon's life dream of developing the site upon which the University of Washington was founded in 1861. 

 Jon's love of buildings and landscaping extended to his personal life. Over many years, he collaborated with prominent residential architects, Steve Sullivan and Rhoady Lee, to create family homes in Seattle, Sun Valley, Hawaii and the San Juan islands, where he and his wife Judy entertained extensively to bring family and friends together for countless celebrations. 

 Alongside his professional career, Jon's civic leadership benefited a wide range of sectors, including the arts, education, medicine, athletics, business, and philanthropy.  Among other civic duties, Jon chaired the Downtown Seattle Association and the UW Board of Regents and also served on the boards of the Seattle Symphony, Benaroya Hall Music Center, the UW Foundation, The Pike Market PDA, the Washington Board of Rowing Stewards, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. 

 Born in 1941 during a blackout just days after the Pearl Harbor attack, Jon joined a family deeply rooted in Seattle history, civic engagement, and the University of Washington. His father, Hal, was a UW graduate and Boeing engineer; his grandfather Benson chaired the UW Chemical Engineering Department; and his great-grandfather, J.T. Ronald, served as Mayor of Seattle, UW Regent, and Superior Court judge.  His mother Betty was an active civic leader.  From all of them Jon inherited a sense of civic duty, integrity, determination, and persistence. 

 Jon's talent and vision for development emerged in early childhood years spent in Seattle and at Cheerio Beach in Hood Canal where he built driftwood tree houses and boats. After attending John Muir elementary school and Lakeside, Jon became a Husky himself and earned two degrees - Building Construction and Economics - leading to a career in urban development. Jon earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1968, and then joined the venerable Boston real estate firm, Cabot, Cabot and Forbes as a project manager before returning to Seattle in 1972 to co-found WR&C. 

 At the UW, Jon discovered rowing, one of his life's passions which he credited for his commendable grit, stamina and teambuilding skills. Tall and athletic, with an inherited Nordic love for water, Jon was a perfect fit for the sport, but it was the culture that drew him in and served as his guide for teamwork, collaboration, and service in every part of his life. A staunch supporter of Husky crew, he identified as a rower until the end. Jon was also an avid tennis player, skier and sailor and long-time member of the Seattle Tennis Club, Seattle Yacht Club, and the University Club. 

 Jon loved his wife and partner, Judy, and together they shared a life devoted to family, their complementary careers, and civic duty. Jon loved his two daughters, Stacey and Kayley, and their families, and his adopted daughter, Maili and her family. He was proud of their continued involvement in the community.  He loved his friends and his Wright Runstad colleagues. He loved entertaining at his family homes. He loved his family dogs and cats. He loved sailing and cruising in Desolation Sound. He loved creating beautiful places. And he loved his city. The story of his legacy lies in the skyline and the vibrant hum of civic life within it. 

 Jon is survived by his wife of 46 years, Judy, and his daughters Stacey Runstad Campbell and Kayley Runstad Swan; Sons in law Donald Campbell and Tony Swan; Grandchildren Blakely, Madison and Halle Campbell, and Savannah and Anders Westra; Stepgrandchildren Ryan Westra (wife Sydney), and Leo and Kate Swan; Maili Lafayette (husband Ken and their children Jack, Stella and Lily). He is survived by his sister Jill Runstad Hally, nephews John Day and Michael Day and his wife Joy. 

 Remembrances can be made to the  UW Runstad Department of Real Estate  , the  Men's UW Rowing Program  , and  Friends of Waterfront Seattle.  

 A celebration of life will be held at a future date. 

 To share memories of Jon, please  sign the online guest register and bookmark this link for revisits to his memorial site at  www.evanschapel.com/obituary/jon-runstad  .