As Paul Roberts of the Seattle Times wrote in a lengthy and fitting obituary, not only did Weyerhaeuser spend nearly six decades working for the timber company that bears the familys name including nearly 30 years as CEO he made numerous valuable civic contributions across the region during his long life. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., former Weyerhaeuser Company CEO and president and great-grandson of the company's founder Frederick Weyerhaeuser, died June 11 at the age of 95. Arrangements are still pending. After serving 28 years of his sentence, Harmon was hired by Weyerhaeuser at one of the companys plants in Oregon. . The company sold the mill in 2016 to One Rock Capital Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in New York. Bryan (Hong Kong), Dear David. George Weyerhaeuser was released along a road in Issaquah, found his way to a nearby farmhouse, and was then taken back to his familys home in Tacoma. In 1935, 8-year-old Weyerhaeuser was kidnapped in Tacoma while walking home from school and held for $200,000 ransom. Former Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma said Mr. Weyerhaeuser was a civic force. Locals gathered in the Hyatt Regency-Lake Washington at Rentons Southport, City looked at building new public maintenance facility at Steel Lake Annex, Court documents reveal details of Feb. 9 incident, The suspect, a 31-year-old man, is in custody after Feb. 18 shooting at the Brickyard Pub, OLYMPIA A day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Continue reading, The development includes 334 units in Federal Way near Kent border, Mans father lives in Kent; police say the suspect driver returned to the scene, https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/, WA Lottery reveals Auburn woman as winner of $754.6 million Powerball jackpot, State bill to implement inclusive learning curriculum passes Senate, What do you do with your food waste? There was the public transportation catastrophe that marred July 4, 1900 when an overpacked trolley on its way to Tacomas annual holiday parade jumped the track and plunged 100 feet into a ravine, killing 43 people. Distribution and use of this material are governed by Following the safe release of George Weyerhaeuser, federal law enforcement launched what was described at the time as the greatest manhunt in the history of the Northwest, according to HistoryLink.org. In 1991, John Creighton took over as CEO. In 1966, at age 39, he became chief executive officer and president. Today, the kidnappers demand would be roughly $4 million. https://www.wsj.com/articles/george-weyerhaeuser-child-kidnapping-victim-survived-to-lead-forestry-giant-11655474416. Weyerhaeuser served as president and CEO from 1966 to 1991 and continued to serve as Board chairman through 1999. He was unhappy with the companys decision to sell the Federal Way campus and move its current location to Seattles Pioneer Square, in 2016. Please subscribe to keep reading. In his 30-year career at the company, Mr. Weyerhaeuser served in several executive positions including vice president for containerboard and vice president of manufacturing for the companys pulp and paper business. Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest private owners oftimberlands, began operations in 1900. $455,000 was earmarked to improve the health of shellfish beds in Poverty Bay. jumped the track and plunged 100 feet into a ravine, death of a three-legged Cocker Spaniel named Tubby, published a book on the ordeal just last year, weaseling an interview scoop from the 9-year-old on his way back to Tacoma, the greatest manhunt in the history of the Northwest, What was driving Pierce County like in the 80s? The four participants in the kidnapping were apprehended and sentenced to prison terms totaling 135 years. Under his leadership, Money Magazine identified Weyerhaeuser Company as one of the five best managed companies in the U.S. May Gods loving kindness and comfort help you and your family through this very difficult time. WA Lottery reveals Auburn woman as winner of $754.6 million Powerball jackpot, Victim energy is a siren song to which we must stop our ears | Whales Tales, Pandemic made us realize the value of local pharmacists | Brunell, Federal Way student goes viral on American Idol, Divisive bills on pursuits, gun purchases edge closer to House votes. As a little boy, trying to face that kind of media presence was really difficult.. George was an extraordinary person and leader one of the most influential in the history of the industry, said Devin Stockfish, president and chief executive officer. He is also survived by four sisters and a brother. So many of these copycat kidnappings after the Lindbergh kidnapping did not turn out well, and this one did. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. King County Solid Waste Division will have an online food waste survey open until April 30. Sincerely, Weyerhaeuser served as president and CEO from 1966 to 1991 and continued to serve as Board chairman through 1999. Weyerhaeuser became CEO in 1966, leading the company through 25 years of changes that affect the Fortune 500 company today. George Weyerhaeuser was released along a road in Issaquah, found his way to a nearby farmhouse, and was then taken back to his familys home in Tacoma. WA to end masking requirement in health care, correctional facilities, Fire on Lake City Way in Seattle raises smoke, flooding concerns, Tacoma woman refusing tuberculosis treatment continues to face arrest, Be bolder to get light rail done, expert panel tells Sound Transit, One Seattle business is taking a stand against tipping mania. As the ransom letter instructed, when they had the cash, the Weyerhaeusers placed a personal ad in the Seattle PI, communicating, We are ready, and signed using the code name, Percy Minnie. John Weyerhaeuser soon received a set of instructions from his sons abductors, which included taking the money into the woods in the dead of night and looking for a series of stakes driven into the ground marked with white cloths. The Weyerhaeuser family is planning a memorial service for later this summer. He also served as Board chairman through 1999. George was an extraordinary person and leader one of the most influential in the history of the industry, said Devin Stockfish, president and chief executive officer, in a press release. Much of the success on the waterway and the Museum of Glass, for that matter, was the result of his singular efforts, he wrote. On June 1, after eight days imprisonment in earthen pits, car trunks, closets and even a Uneeda cracker carton, George Weyerhaeuser was left on the side of a forest road near Issaquah with two blankets and a dollar. He basically said, Alls well that ends well.. The boy's family paid a ransom for his release on June 1, 1935. "Over his many years as president and CEO, he brought transformational changes to our company, including important advances in sustainable, high-yield forestry and wood products research, as well as expansion into overseas markets, among many other achievements. Edit your search or learn more. During its heyday, Weyerhaeuser employed as many as 5,000 workers locally, according to TDN archives. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning), Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy, Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American, Stockfish to Represent Weyerhaeuser at Upcoming Investor Conferences in March, Weyerhaeuser Company Announces 5.6% Dividend Increase. I mean, if you were born and raised in Tacoma, as I was, you knew about it.. He left a tremendous legacy and will be greatly missed by everyone in the greater Weyerhaeuser family and community, said Stockfish. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., the fourth-generation heir of his familys timber company, died Saturday at the age of 95, leaving a lasting legacy on the region and industry. It was designed by architect Charles Bassett of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; landscape architect Peter Walker; and George Weyerhaeuser. Your father was loved by many. View Source Share Save to Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Created by: CMWJR Added: 26 May 2021 Carl Ruckwardt. To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. He was 95. It was his obituary, which detailed the family's timber wealth, that reportedly inspired the. The company said he oversaw a great amount of growth of the company which included several major timberland acquisitions. He represented the company and the timber industry on many boards. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., the fourth-generation timber family scion who ran one of Americas largest forestry firms and was briefly one of Americas most famous kidnapping victims, died Saturday, June 11, his family confirmed Monday. Washingtons Lottery Continue reading, Standards to include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of LGBTQ people. Why is Pierce County food insecurity still so high? I think we have all benefited from his understanding and commitment, said Meyer. I dont believe there is any substitute for having been there and done that, he said in a 2000 TDN article. Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest private owners oftimberlands, began operations in 1900. He oversaw significant growth of the company, including a number of major timberland acquisitions, and had an enduring impact on the evolution of forest management at Weyerhaeuser and across the industry. Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WY. His kidnappers were eventually caught and found guilty. "George was an extraordinary person and leader one of the most influential in the history of the industry," said Devin Stockfish, president and chief executive officer. It was the week he spent in captivity as a young boy, however, that made Weyerhaeuser a household name. Three years later, the company opened its first mill in Longview the largest in the world at the time, according to the company. friend, said Mr. Weyerhaeuser was a people person. This story was originally published June 18, 2022, 5:00 AM. George Weyerhaeuser, Child-Kidnapping Victim, Survived to Lead Forestry Giant - WSJ Print Edition Latin America U.S. What's News Podcast Central Banking Private Equity NBA Tennis Soccer Jason. For a week, the police and federal agents searched for young George while his family assembled a ransom payment. He did me no harm, Weyerhaeuser said of the man during a 2016 interview with radio station KUOW. The kidnapping of nine-year-old George Weyerhaeuser occurred in 1935 in Tacoma, Washington, United States.The son of prominent lumberman J. P. Weyerhaeuser, George was successfully released for ransom and eventually succeeded his father as the chairman of the Weyerhaeuser company. The couple implicated a third kidnapper, William Mahan real name was William Dainard, according to HistoryLink.org, and considered the brains of the operation who was captured the following year. I wish I had the right words. To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our. It didnt affect me personally as much as anyone looking back on it might think.. I think thats an important part of the story as well.. Although I never actually met George, I always admired and respected what I knew to be his "reach" and positive impact in our community. He was also the victim of a famous kidnapping case in 1935 . Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., great-grandson of the companys founder Frederick Weyerhaeuser, died on June 11. you may not experience optimal navigation or page functionality. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., kidnapped as boy, passes away. In the last 100 years no one has had more influence on the shaping of South King County than George Weyerhaeuser, said Peter von Reichbauer, a King County councilman who represents Federal Way. An Auburn woman has won the $754.6 million Powerball jackpot. Broke down and cried, Seahawks accomplish 1 of their combine goals: Get the NFL thinking theyd take a QB at 5, Arrest warrant issued for Tacoma woman with TB. By the 1990s, Weyerhaeuser operations in the Pacific Northwest were producing twice the timber volumes of their natural counterparts, according to a 1997 report by the World Resources Institute. you are forever in my heart . Baarsma, the citys former mayor, attended Lowell Elementary in the 1940s just a few years after the Weyerhaeuser kidnapping. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., leaves legacy in Longview, on industry after death George Weyerhaeuser Sr., the fourth-generation heir of his family's timber company, died Saturday at the age of 95 . U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current. The deal was the largest private land transaction in American history to that time, according to the company. If you proceed without upgrading or switching browsers, For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact He thought it was terrible, Leilee Weyerhaeuser said. George Weyerhaeuser Sr. dies at 95 Great-grandson of the company's founder Frederick Weyerhaeuser, died on June 11. by Sarah Fox Wednesday, June 15, 2022 2:18pm Northwest George Weyerhaeuser Sr., former Weyerhaeuser Company CEO and president and great-grandson of the company's founder Frederick Weyerhaeuser, died June 11 at the age of 95. Thats another thing that made the story so big, Baarsma said. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., the fourth-generation heir of his family's timber company, died Saturday at the age of 95, leaving a lasting legacy on the region and industry. In 1935, an 8-year-old George Weyerhaeuser first made headlines when he was kidnapped in Tacoma and held for ransom. He went on to say the Weyerhaeuser Company cut down the construction cost so the facility could be constructed within the limited budget available. George Weyerhaeuser was transported to a rental house in Spokane, while his parents John and Helen Weyerhaeuser worked to collect the ransom money on short notice, which was no small feat even for a family of considerable financial means. In the last 100 years no one has had more influence on the shaping of South King County than George Weyerhaeuser, said Peter von Reichbauer, a King County councilman who represents Federal Way. In a June 14 news release by the Weyerhaeuser Company one of Americas largest forestry firms founded by Weyerhaeusers great-grandfather the company addressed Weyerhaeusers passing. He wasnt the person who called attention to himself but rather one who always cared about employees and customers, said Keller. But, according to local historian and former Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma, one event in the citys past stands above the rest in terms of the white-hot attention it garnered: the kidnapping and eventual safe return of 9-year-old George Weyerhaeuser in 1935. He never searched for the spotlight.. He will be missed. Weyerhaeuser, who was succeeded by Jack Creighton in 1991, is believed to be the last family member to serve in company management. Great-grandson of the companys founder Frederick Weyerhaeuser, died on June 11. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. As someone who had worked in the mills and forests, he was never thinking that Wall Street knew how businesses should be run., Amazon shutters some convenience stores, including 2 in Seattle, Boeing WA state workers split $513M in bonuses as CEOs pay tops $22M, Thousands of WA workers may have to repay millions of dollars in pandemic benefits, Amazon Pauses Construction on Second Headquarters in Virginia as It Cuts Jobs, King County needs 17K new homes every year to address housing shortage. Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com. William Dainard, then 33, was sentenced to 60 years in prison; Harmon Metz Waley, then 23, was sentenced to 45 years in prison; and Margaret Eldora Thulin, then 19, was sentenced to 20 years. Kidnappers held him for eight days and sent his father on several missions via hidden notes to accomplish tasks. Challenges that would be discouraging to some people, he would be looking for the way to go into the future and have it be better, she said. William Dainard, then 33, was sentenced to 60 years in prison; Harmon Metz Waley, then 23, was sentenced to 45 years in prison; and Margaret Eldora Thulin, then 19, was sentenced to 20 years. Mr. Weyerhaeuser suffered a heart attack Sunday evening on his boat on Commencement Bay. our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. Rising costs and a shortage of workers are pushing the Southwest-style restaurant chain to do more with less. He was also a key supporter for WeyerhaeuserKing CountyAquatic Center, which was a central venue in the 1990 Seattle Goodwill Games. An April Weyerhaeuser report says the company earned $771 million in net earnings in the first quarter of 2022. The kidnappers began stalking the family after reading an obituary for J.P. Weyerhaeuser Sr., planning to abduct George and hold him for ransom. So, yeah, it was a big deal.. The Weyerhaeuser family is planning a memorial service which will take place later this summer. Edit Search New Search Filters (1) To get better results, add more information such as Birth Info, Death Info and Locationeven a guess will help. I suspect thats right, Johnston said. He said, Nope. Pretty point blank, Johnston told The News Tribune, noting the intense media frenzy that followed his release, which included a reporter from the Times weaseling an interview scoop from the 9-year-old on his way back to Tacoma. George Hunt Walker Weyerhaeuser was born July 8, 1926, in Seattle, to Helen (Walker) Weyerhaeuser and John Philip Weyerhaeuser Jr., grandson of company co-founder Frederick Weyerhaeuser. In Federal Way, the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center has been the site for dozens of championship swim and dive meets, Olympic Trials and other important events. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., leaves legacy in Longview, on industry after death. Just know that I care. He served in the Navy in World War II and, after graduating from Yale University, continued working his way up through the timber business. Meyer said Mr. Weyerhaeuser was a man who combined a passion for civic betterment with a keen business knowledge. The company has century-long roots in Longview. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Museum of Glass or Charles . | A Matt Driscoll column. George Hunt Walker Weyerhaeuser was born on July 8, 1926. Im the third director the museum has had. It began on May 24, 1935, around noon, as the young Weyerhaeuser walked to the familys home on North Fourth Street from the former Lowell Elementary school for lunch. Mr. Weyerhaeuser was president of the Thea Foss Waterway Development Authority, a board on which he had served for many years. He oversaw significant growth of the company, including a number of major timberland acquisitions, and had an enduring impact on the evolution of forest management at Weyerhaeuser and across the industry. The Biden administration is preparing a new program that could prohibit American investment in certain sectors in China, a step to guard U.S. technological advantages amid a growing competition between the worlds two largest economies. George Weyerhaeuser July 8, 1926 - June 11, 2022 Lakewood, Washington - George H. W. Weyerhaeuser Sr. 1926-2022 It is very challenging to write the summation of a long and deeply fulfilling life. Slumping tech and property activity arent yet pushing the broader economy into recession. As they get cheaper, going electric no longer has to be a costly proposition. In a June 14 news release by the Weyerhaeuser Company one of Americas largest forestry firms founded by Weyerhaeusers great-grandfather the company addressed Weyerhaeusers passing. Twenty six years earlier, Frederick Weyerhaeuser and 15 partners had paid $5.4 million to the Northern Pacific Railway for just over 1,400 square miles of forestland in Washington state. Johnston told The News Tribune on Wednesday the Weyerhaeuser kidnapping had all the elements of a classic Hollywood movie. You have permission to edit this article. He left a tremendous legacy and will be greatly missed by everyone in the greater Weyerhaeuser family and community.". You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. George Weyerhaeuser Sr.'s death . He was always there for the museum, Warner said. George Weyerhaueser died in June at 95, but the story of how two men and a woman nabbed him when he was a boy compelled Johnston to write a story on it. At another, he rode across the state in a car trunk. Meanwhile, the captors escaped with the money, at least for the moment. I mean, they sent over a reporter from the London Times to cover the trial, Johnston said. Georges dad was not in love with the media at all, because they were camped out in their lawn for a week, Johnston said. There was a problem saving your notification. Harmon Waley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 45 years in prison. He had served as chairman of the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada and chairman of the Canadian National Advisory Board on Forestry Research. You can cancel at any time. "Over his many years as president and CEO, he brought transformational changes to our company, including important advances in sustainable, high-yield forestry and wood products research, as well as expansion into overseas markets, among many other achievements. Over his many years as president and CEO, he brought transformational changes to our company, including important advances in sustainable, high-yield forestry and wood products research, as well as expansion into overseas markets, among many other achievements.. In May 1935, when George Weyerhaeuser was 8, his grandfather John P. Weyerhaeuser Sr. died. Mr. Weyerhaeuser was a key board member and a backer of the Museum of Glass. The 425-acre campus in Federal Way blends nature with corporate offices, creating a one-of-a-kind location both inside and outside of the building. He left a tremendous legacy and will be greatly missed by everyone in the greater Weyerhaeuser family and community, he said. George quickly became a darling of the rampant and often salacious press of the era, Johnston said, while his father quickly became weary of the attention. In the late 1950s, George Weyerhaeuser Sr. entered the executive ranks at company headquarters in downtown Tacoma, as an assistant to the executive vice president, but quickly moved up. Jackie and I offer our sympathy and prayers to a special family. i loved being your little girl. At one point, he was shackled at the bottom of an underground pit. Weyerhaeuser served as president and CEO from 1966 to 1991 and continued to serve as Board chairman through 1999. The 425-acre campus in Federal Way blends nature with corporate offices, creating a one-of-a-kind location both inside and outside of the building. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., attended the opening of Longview's Japanese Garden and the bridge to the island in 2003. I don't know how you feel but I'm here to help in any way I can. May 24, 1935, Miss Berg of Lowell Grammar School dismissed her fifth-grade class for lunch,. Each marker, according to Johnston, revealed a new set of instructions, eventually leading to a drop spot for the cash. All Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries results for George Weyerhaeuser. Weyerhaeuser became. In my opinion, its the most fascinating crime story in Washington state history, by an absolute mile, said Bryan Johnston, who published a book on the ordeal just last year. Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee. In 1971, George Weyerhaeuser moved the companys headquarters to Federal Way, a city which was shaped by his vision. Please keep letters to 300 words or less. In 1935, 8-year-old Weyerhaeuser was kidnapped in Tacoma while walking home from school and held for $200,000 ransom. The business and civic leader received his bachelors degree in philosophy and mathematics from Yale University in 1976 and a master of science degree from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986. Wendy Weyerhaeuser died in 2014. Mr. Weyerhaeuser joined the company in Dierks, Ark., in 1978 and served there in various capacities including forester and contract logger administrator before becoming sawmill supervisor in 1980. In Tacomas history, thats probably the biggest story, Baarsma said this week, noting that the crime and subsequent trial brought reporters from around the world to the City of Destiny. While Mr. Weyerhaeuser worked his way upward to one of the timber companys most senior positions, he was never overtly ambitious, said his friend. He served in that position for three years. The kidnapping of a great grandson of the founder of a giant forestry company made international headlines. COURTESY PHOTO, Weyerhaeuser. But Leilee Weyerhaeuser thinks the incident taught her father to be forward-looking. There was Jack the Bear, and later, Ivan the Gorilla. The company said he oversaw a great amount of growth of the company which included several major timberland acquisitions. But his daughter, Leilee Weyerhaeuser, said the experience deeply affected his outlook on life. The show features past winners from national competition and tour. Weyerhaeuser also questioned the industrys growing focus on Wall Street, share price and short-term results, which he saw as ill-suited in a business whose products took decades to mature. Weyerhaeuser wasnt entirely satisfied with the direction of the company or the industry after he stepped down. Mr. Weyerhaeusers great-great grandfather was Frederick Weyerhaeuser, one of the company founders. He can adjust himself to conditions in a way no adult could. In broad daylight, two men forced the boy into the backseat of a 1927 Buick sedan. He was a great forward thinker, said Keller. i love you always My prayers to all of the family. But the ordeal wasnt over. In the last 100 years no one has had more influence on the shaping of South King County than George Weyerhaeuser, said Peter von Reichbauer, a King County councilman who represents Federal Way. Our company is a real estate investment trust. Weyerhaeusers executive career was also marked by major challenges and controversy. His sons captors gave him a second chance the following evening, and on Thursday, May 30, 1935 in the woods near Angle Lake he left the money in the front seat of his running car and walked away. According to his obituary, Weyerhaeuser did not let the experience derail his life nor cloud his feelings toward other people.. William Dainard, then 33, was sentenced to 60 years in prison; Harmon Metz Waley, then 23, was sentenced to 45 years in prison; and Margaret Eldora Thulin, then 19, was sentenced to 20 years. For better and (often) worse, Tacoma has taken no shortage of strange, sometimes tragic turns in the national spotlight. Johnston, who interviewed the historically tight-lipped Weyerhaeuser for his book, Deep in the Woods, said he asked the timber scion whether the ordeal had been traumatizing. He wore his name well. George Weyerhaeuser, whose father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather all headed the Federal Way timber products company bearing their surname, has died. Margaret Waley went to trial at the insistence of the judge, since it appeared the 19-year-old had no real involvement in the crime and never saw George Weyerhaeuser during his captivity and eventually received a sentence of 20 years.