Share George's life story with friends and family. He would later downplay the impacts of the abduction and frenzied aftermath. In one of the nation's most sensational crimes, on May 24, 1935, George Weyerhaeuser (1926-2022) the 9-year-old son of timber baron John Philip Weyerhaeuser Jr., was kidnapped. He thought it was terrible, Leilee Weyerhaeuser said. Once the money had been gathered, Georges father was instructed to run a personal ad in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that read, We are ready. The company said he oversaw a great amount of growth of the company which included several major timberland acquisitions. Your father was loved by many. View Source Share Save to Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Created by: CMWJR Added: 26 May 2021 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 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. When we wanted to build a world class aquatic center in the Puget Sound region in 1990, George helped us site it in then-unincorporated Federal Way, said von Reichbauer. Jim Keller, a former Weyerhaeuser senior executive and a close According to Johnston, the media circus during the five-day Waley trial was intense. It was a preventable tragedy | Opinion. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, UPDATE: Owner of Longview's Grant's at the Monticello Hotel dies, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, UPDATE: Grant Hadler's death ruled a homicide; Kelso man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, Police detain man reportedly threatening to jump off Lewis and Clark Bridge, Body found in river near Castle Rock identified, 2A High School Boys Basketball: Mark Morris going hardware shopping at State after dropping Sehome, 2A High School Boys Basketball: Gray gets hot, helps Mark Morris over No. 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. His kidnappers were eventually caught and found guilty. As a little boy, trying to face that kind of media presence was really difficult.. 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. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 31, 2013 at the Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock Street, Tacoma from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. But Leilee Weyerhaeuser thinks the incident taught her father to be forward-looking. 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. When we wanted to build a world class aquatic center in the Puget Sound region in 1990, George helped us site it in then-unincorporated Federal Way, said von Reichbauer. 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. It brought great responsibility, and he carried it out, said Keller. 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. He said working in the business taught him the business. Arrangements are still pending. It was a huge story, on the front pages of all the major newspapers, Baarsma said. versions of Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. George Weyerhaeuser, Child-Kidnapping Victim, Survived to Lead - WSJ Timber scion George Weyerhaeuser was just 9 . It was a typical springtime day on May 24, 1935, when . George had fallen into the clutches of Harmon Metz Waley and William Dainard, who hatched their plot in Spokane after reading about the Weyerhaeusers in the May 17 obituary of George's. Eventually returned safely to his family, Weyerhaeuser died last week at 95. Mr. Weyerhaeusers great-great grandfather was Frederick Weyerhaeuser, one of the company founders. George Weyerhaeuser Obituary (1926 - 2022) - Lakewood, WA - Legacy George Weyerhaeuser kidnapping - Wikipedia He left a tremendous legacy and will be greatly missed by everyone in the greater Weyerhaeuser family and community, said Stockfish. HIs parents were Helen Walker Weyerhaeuser and J.P. (Phil) Weyerhaeuser Jr.. During the early years of his life, the family lived in Idaho, and then moved to Tacoma in 1933. After serving 28 years of his sentence, Harmon was hired by Weyerhaeuser at one of the companys plants in Oregon. He went on to say the Weyerhaeuser Company cut down the construction cost so the facility could be constructed within the limited budget available. It was the week he spent in captivity as a young boy, however, that made Weyerhaeuser a household name. George Weyerhaeuser Sr.'s death . Weyerhaeuser served as president and CEO from 1966 to 1991 and continued to serve as Board chairman through 1999. 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. Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WY. 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. An Auburn woman has won the $754.6 million Powerball jackpot. 1 Pullman in State semifinals, Kelso man dies weeks after Lewis River Road accident, Cowlitz County Jail sees more serious suspected offenders, fights in 2023, High School Boys Basketball State Preview: Mark Morris, R.A. Long could play for a State championship, NORPAC, WestRock, Castle Rock developers talk updates, High School Boys Basketball History: Kobe Parlin sets all-time scoring record for Mark Morris in State quarterfinal win, Renewable fuel faces uncertain future in northern Oregon, Pacific Northwest, 2A High School Boys Basketball: R.A. Long kicks off revenge tour at State with win over West Valley, Oregon counties want state Supreme Court ruling on timber harvest reinstated, Revisiting Weyerhaeuser's influence in Longview as woodworkers go on strike. 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. George Hunt Walker Weyerhaeuser, Sr. (1926 - 2022) - Genealogy 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. Environmental activists pressured the company to end or limit logging on some of its millions of acres of forest as a way to protect wildlife habitat. The company sold the mill in 2016 to One Rock Capital Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in New York. Meyer served with Mr. Weyerhaeuser for a decade when Meyer was executive director of the Foss Waterway Development Authority and Mr. Weyerhaeuser was a board member. Leave condolences in the Guest Book, send sympathy flowers, and pay respect to your loved one. Why is Pierce County food insecurity still so high? Baarsma, the citys former mayor, attended Lowell Elementary in the 1940s just a few years after the Weyerhaeuser kidnapping. TACOMA George Weyerhaeuser Jr., scion of the family that founded the Federal Way-based timber-products company that bears his name and a Tacoma civic and business leader in his own right, has. He was 59. Dad 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. In May 1935, when George Weyerhaeuser was 8, his grandfather John P. Weyerhaeuser Sr. died. from 8 AM - 9 PM ET. 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. 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 company said he oversaw a great amount of growth of the company which included several major timberland acquisitions. 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 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. 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. Weyerhaeuser served as president and CEO from 1966 to 1991 and continued to serve as Board chairman through 1999. But theres much more that can be done. 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. My deepest condolence to you and your family. But his daughter, Leilee Weyerhaeuser, said the experience deeply affected his outlook on life. Harmon Waley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Weyerhaeuser Mourns the Passing of George H. Weyerhaeuser Sr. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. 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. And a comprehensive remaking of states approach to drug possession advances toward action in the Senate. Just know that I care. When Weyerhaeuser retired in 2000, a handful of local retirees remembered him best for his time working shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Sincerely, These changes included advances in sustainable, high-yield forestry and wood products research, expansion into overseas markets, and many other achievements. The Secure Act 2.0 will help a lot. 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.. 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. 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. He was also heavily involved in the design of the companys 425-acre corporate campus in Federal Way, which opened in 1971 to international acclaim as one of the first suburban headquarters. Our company is a real estate investment trust. I mean, if you were born and raised in Tacoma, as I was, you knew about it.. 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. Here in Pierce County, Weyerhaeuser played a role in some of Tacomas biggest victories, Baarsma told me, from the Foss Waterway cleanup to the development of the University of Washington Tacoma. Each marker, according to Johnston, revealed a new set of instructions, eventually leading to a drop spot for the cash. The last member of the founding family to lead the company, Weyerhaeuser was named CEO in 1966 when he was 39. He was president and chief executive officer of Weyerhaeuser Canada from June 1993 to May 1998. He was 95. For more than a hundred years, Weyerhaeuser has been building and enhancing a reputation for responsible corporate citizenship. Mr. Weyerhaeuser is survived by his wife, Kathy McGoldrick; sons Walker and Corydon; his father, George Weyerhaeuser; and his mother, Wendy. He did me no harm, Weyerhaeuser said of the man during a 2016 interview with radio station KUOW. A McClatchy Presidents Award winner, Driscoll is passionate about Tacoma and strives to tell stories that might otherwise go untold. Kidnappers held him for eight days and sent his father on several missions via hidden notes to accomplish tasks. King County Solid Waste Division will have an online food waste survey open until April 30. All Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries results for George Weyerhaeuser. An Auburn woman has won the $754.6 million Powerball jackpot. 84 years ago: 9-year-old George Weyerhaeuser was kidnapped in Tacoma and held on $200,000 ransom By Natalie Guevara, SeattlePI Updated May 24, 2019 The Weyerhaeuser kidnappers - Timber scion. I wish I had the right words. That applied to people, too. It was George Weyerhaeuser who unintentionally jolted them from obscurity. The kidnapping had made the national news, thanks to a reporter who maneuvered to interview George even before he returned to his family, and the result was a media frenzy, said Leilee Weyerhaeuser, He had told us that for him, the worst trauma came from being encircled by reporters with cameras and questions and microphones, she said. Mr. Weyerhaeuser was a key board member and a backer of the Museum of Glass. 84 years ago: 9-year-old George Weyerhaeuser kidnapped in Tacoma For more information contact:Analysts Andy Taylor, 206-539-3907Media Nancy Thompson, 919-861-0342, Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 Im the third director the museum has had. We are also one of the largest manufacturers ofwood productsin America. Thats what attracted the 59-year-old author to the story. Mr. Weyerhaeuser was president of the Thea Foss Waterway Development Authority, a board on which he had served for many years. He was a great forward thinker, said Keller. One Friday in May 1935, 8-year-old George Weyerhaeuser was on his way home from school in Tacoma, Wash., when a stranger seized him, bundled him into a car and covered him with a blanket. As they get cheaper, going electric no longer has to be a costly proposition. 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. During his time heading the companys Canadian operations, he was chairman of the Forest Alliance of British Columbia. The Weyerhaeuser family is planning a memorial service which will take place later this summer. I think we have all benefited from his understanding and commitment, said Meyer. He wasnt the person who called attention to himself but rather one who always cared about employees and customers, said Keller. The P-I's role in the kidnapping case of George Weyerhaeuser There was Jack the Bear, and later, Ivan the Gorilla. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., former Weyerhaeuser Company CEO and president and great-grandson of the companys founder Frederick Weyerhaeuser, died June 11 at the age of 95. In 1935, an 8-year-old George Weyerhaeuser first made headlines when he was kidnapped in Tacoma and held for ransom. FBI agents had compiled the serial numbers of the 20,000 bills included in the ransom money, according to the site, and before long they began to surface. For more information contact:Analysts Andy Taylor, 206-539-3907Media Nancy Thompson, 919-861-0342. George Weyerhaeuser Obituary (2013) - Seattle, WA - The Seattle Times (Weyerhaeuser) made such a difference for the city of Tacoma as a person, Baarsma said. In 2021, we generated $10.2 billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,200 people who serve customers worldwide. For better and (often) worse, Tacoma has taken no shortage of strange, sometimes tragic turns in the national spotlight. George Weyerhaeuser, Tacoma civic leader, dies In 2006, Mr. Weyerhaeuser was appointed to the Geneva-based World Business Council for Sustainable Development as a senior fellow. I made it into a poster and gave it to him and he gave me a job in Longview. 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. It didnt affect me personally as much as anyone looking back on it might think.. Distribution and use of this material are governed by He was 95. Percy Minnie.. George Weyerhaeuser went on to graduate from Yale University, and held various roles at the company until he was named CEO and president in 1966 until 1991. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., great-grandson of timber company founder and The Shy Tycoon Who Owns 1/640th of the U.S. - SI.com You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Weyerhaeuser Mourns the Passing of George H. Weyerhaeuser Sr. - PR Newswire https://www.wsj.com/articles/george-weyerhaeuser-child-kidnapping-victim-survived-to-lead-forestry-giant-11655474416. In 2021, we generated $10.2 billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,200 people who serve customers worldwide. His kidnappers were eventually caught and found guilty. George Weyerhaeuser was a great leader and a great guy. He became the companys senior vice president of technology, procurement and transportation in 1998. Weyerhaeuser reports record high $2.6 billion in earnings for 2021 He went on to live a long, incredibly productive life. Weyerhaeuser served as president and CEO from 1966 to 1991 and continued to serve as Board chairman through 1999. He left a tremendous legacy and will be greatly missed by everyone in the greater Weyerhaeuser family and community, said Stockfish. This week's passages | The Seattle Times If you proceed without upgrading or switching browsers, Weyerhaeuser served as president and CEO from 1966 to 1991 and continued to serve as Board chairman through 1999. Edit your search or learn more. This visionary icon will be missed, Local activists saved a no-name park from destruction. In May 1935, when George Weyerhaeuser was 8, his grandfather John P. Weyerhaeuser Sr. died. We are also one of the largest manufacturers ofwood productsin America. 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 Weyerhaeuser Sr. dies at 95 | Kent Reporter For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Susan Warner, the museums executive director, said he was one of the founding members of the museum, having worked on its board since 1999. He wore his name well. The deal was the largest private land transaction in American history to that time, according to the company. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. He oversaw significant growth of the company, including a number of major. George went to the Taft School in Watertown, CT for high school. 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. Guest Book sponsored by Mountain View Funeral Home - Tacoma, Dear David, you may not experience optimal navigation or page functionality. King County wants to know, Unity and Perseverance forum spotlights Rentons Black community, history, Federal Way likely to abandon plan to remove 9 acres of park land, Robbery suspects nearly collide with train while fleeing Auburn police | Video, 1 dead, 1 injured after Saturday shooting near Federal Way bar, Legislation seeks to strenghten Washingtons abortion laws, Robbery suspect ends up hiding in a tree | Podcast, New affordable housing development coming near Star Lake, Son kills mom; double homicide at motel; carjackers caught | Podcast, Male pedestrian killed Jan. 16 in Federal Way identified. Continue reading your article witha WSJ subscription, Already a member? In 2021, the company reported net earnings of $2.6 billion on sales of $10.2 billion. As Roberts perfectly summed up in the Seattle Times, 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.. I know his daughter has said that he had a much more forward view (after the kidnapping) you know, always look ahead, dont look back on the past. Our company is a real estate investment trust. 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. Decatur High School senior amasses more than a hundred million views of his performance of James Blunts Monsters.. He is also survived by four sisters and a brother. An obituary for George Weyerhaeuser Sr., who died on June 11 at the age of 95, cites one of his many civic accomplishments as including development of the University of Washington Tacoma. The Weyerhaeuser family is planning a memorial service for later this summer, the press release states. Washingtons Lottery Continue reading, Standards to include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of LGBTQ people. The Weyerhaeuser family is planning a memorial service for later this summer. During his tenure, the company launched several major initiatives. It was designed by architect Charles Bassett of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; landscape architect Peter Walker; and George Weyerhaeuser. George Weyerhaeuser himself played the stoic. George Weyerhaeuser Sr., 95, the fourth-generation timber family scion who ran one of America's largest forestry firms and was briefly one of America's most famous kidnapping victims, died . A group of 13 rural counties and some 150 taxing districts is asking the Oregon Supreme Court to reinstate a $1.1 billion award against the st. Meyer said Mr. Weyerhaeuser was a man who combined a passion for civic betterment with a keen business knowledge. During a 1969 interview with Sports Illustrated, he suggested that the kidnapping had a bigger effect on his family than it had on him. At one point, he was shackled at the bottom of an underground pit. If the kidnapping put Tacoma in the spotlight, so did the trial that quickly followed which was held at the U.S. District Court downtown. Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee. Three years later, the company opened its first mill in Longview the largest in the world at the time, according to the company. 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. Weyerhaeuser, whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather also led the timber company that carries the family name, served as CEO from 1966 to 1991 and board chair until 1999. Tue, Jun 14, 2022. 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. Thats a big deal | Opinion, Racial disparities persist in WA prisons. hope you enjoy your visit.