United Way of King County remembers Bruce Nordstrom as a passionate and caring entrepreneur and former campaign chair whose life embodied the title of his autobiography, Leave It Better Than You Found It. 

Nordstrom, the grandson of the Nordstrom retail company founder John W. Nordstrom, passed away on Saturday at age 90. Through his leadership, Bruce Nordstrom’s commitment to education has become a tradition that carries on with his entire family and the corporate community of Seattle. The legacy he left by being so community-minded and partnering with United Way is part of that and continues to this day.

“All of us at United Way were saddened to hear of Bruce’s passing,” said Gordon McHenry, Jr., president and CEO of United Way of King County. “Bruce was a devoted business, civic, and philanthropic leader in our community who will long be remembered for his generosity and vision.”

Bruce and his wife Jeannie also have a special personal connection to United Way.  Bruce met Jeannie, a senior United Way fundraising staff member, when he served as Campaign Chair of United Way of King County in 1985-86. They lead quietly by example and encourage others to join them by giving time and financial support to the causes they are passionate about – support for women and girls, education, animal rights, and meeting people’s basic needs, to name a few. 

Through their business, family, and personal connections, they have mentored younger philanthropists and encouraged the next generation to get involved in solving our community’s toughest issues.

In 2015, United Way of King County awarded Bruce the Beacon Award for Visionary Philanthropic Leadership, recognizing his extraordinary dedication to serving the King County community.

Added McHenry: “We are grateful for the many hours he gave as campaign chair to inspire our community to give back, and for his unwavering dedication to United Way over the years, personally and professionally.”

Those wishing to donate in Bruce Nordstrom’s name can make a gift here: