Celebration of life planned for Blake Nordstrom

SEATTLE -- The community is invited to honor Nordstrom co-president Blake Nordstrom's life and legacy at a celebration on Saturday, Jan. 12.

The celebration of life will be held at the University of Washington Alaska Airlines Arena (formerly Hec Ed Pavilion), 3870 Montlake Blvd., at 2 p.m. Doors will open at 1 p.m.

Blake Nordstrom, 58, died Jan. 1, a few weeks after disclosing that he was battling lymphoma.

He served as president of the Seattle-based department store chain that bears his family's name from 2000-2015. He became co-president of Nordstrom in 2015.

Nordstrom, a University of Washington graduate, is remembered as a generous philanthropist and an all-around "nice guy." He leaves behind his wife, Molly, and their children.

"We will always be grateful for his generous support of our students and, as a dyed-in-the-wool Husky, he embodied the spirit of the Pacific Northwest in so many ways," UW President Ana Mari Cauce said. "We are proud to count him, like so many members of his extraordinary family, among our alumni, and his impact will be felt here – in classrooms, on the field and the water, and in the lives of our students – forever. His service to the UW community and far beyond are a lasting testament to his character and talent. Our thoughts are with his family and friends as we mourn his loss.”