Herman Sarkowsky | |
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Born | June 9, 1925 Gera, Thuringia, Germany |
Died |
November 2, 2014 (aged 89) Seattle, Washington, United States of America |
Residence | Seattle, Washington, Rancho Mirage, California |
Education | Broadway High School, University of Washington |
Occupation | Real estate developer, NBA team owner/founder, racehorse owner/breeder, philanthropist |
Known for | Key Tower, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Seahawks |
Board member of | Herman and Faye Sarkowsky Charitable Foundation, National Association of Home Builders, HLTH Corporation, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Symphony |
Spouse(s) | Faye Mondschein |
Children | Cathy Sarkowsky Steve Sarkowsky |
Herman Sarkowsky (June 9, 1925 – November 2, 2014) was a Seattle, Washington, United States businessman, philanthropist, thoroughbred breeder, and former sports executive. He was a co-founder of two Pacific Northwest sports franchises, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks.
Sarkowsky was born to a Jewish family in Gera, Thuringia, Germany, in 1925. In 1934, his family immigrated to New York City after Adolf Hitler came to power. In 1937, his family moved to Seattle, Washington. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. A 1949 graduate of the University of Washington, he entered the home building and construction trade the following year.
In the 1960s, Sarkowsky founded United Homes Corporation which became the largest homebuilding company in the Northwest. He developed the Key Tower (now Seattle Municipal Tower) in Seattle, and was a partner in the Frederick and Nelson department store chain. As of November 2007[update], Sarkowsky operates a private investment firm. He is a Lifetime Board Member of the National Association of Home Builders, was a director of HLTH Corporation, and since its merger with WebMD sits on the board of that company (as of 2014).