Nicholas J. Zorich

Nicholas J. Zorich

Nicholas J. Zorich, patriarch of the family, beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and husband, died on Friday, 26 July 2013. Nick was 89 years old, and spent his final days in the comfort of his home in Kirkland, surrounded by friends and family.

Nick was preceded in death by his first wife, June, and his son, Nicholas Zorich Junior. He is survived by his second wife, Marion Tilley-Zorich, his daughter, Melody Zorich, by grandchildren Rick Zorich, Elizabeth Zorich, and Erik Eliasen, and his great-granddaughters, Desiree Eliasen and Joni Paulic.

Born in Astoria, Oregon, on 14 March 1924, Nick was born of the water, and would always be a man of the water. A middle child in a working-class family of eight children, Nick was adored by his mother, so much so that his brothers and sisters often teased that he was the "only child of eight"; all family events were said to begin when Nick arrived...!

Nick attended Queen Anne High School in Seattle. He was always a big man, and gifted in sports, but unable to compete in varsity athletics because he had to devote any available time to working - working at hard work - to help support his large family. Together with his father and brothers, Nick served behind the counter of the family's fish stall at the Pike Place Market. A man with a strong back and an even stronger sense of duty, Nick was a man always at work throughout his life, endeavoring to improve his own lot, to help raise up his family, and to support and care for those depending on him.

Like many men of his generation, Nick also had a strong sense of duty to country, and in the 1940s Nick served in the United States Army during the Second World War. He drove heavy machinery and was responsible for retrieving heavy equipment, often in dangerous situations. He persevered, and was blessed to survive. During the war years, he also found creative ways to operate small businesses on the side, such as running a laundry service for his fellow soldiers. Nick sent the bulk of his pay and other income back Stateside to support his young wife, June, and infant son, Nick Junior.

Returning from overseas, Nick joined the Seattle Police Department, working as a beat officer in different neighborhoods throughout the City. While working on the force, Nick also began what would become a long career in the construction industry, getting his start through the tutelage of friends and personal connections at the City building department. During these same post-war years, Nick's much-adored second child, Melody, was born, and there was a close bond between father and daughter that would last a lifetime.

Nick's dream was to build. He had a keen design vision, and over the next couple of decades would build homes and apartments that would come to define what architectural historians now describe as the classic mid-century modern style. Many of Nick's original single-family houses in the Blue Ridge neighborhood have been preserved and renovated in order to maintain their sleek, contemporary lines - a compelling architectural form which continues to attract homebuyers today in 2013, fully three generations later.

By 1961 Nick had expanded his work into multifamily properties, and in that year completed the first wing of the Shangri-La Apartments on the Lake Washington waterfront in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood. During the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, the property was used as a hotel, with Nick's mom and aunt helping as room staff. The building eventually grew two additional wings to form its final "U" shape - completion was in 1966. All of the residences have views, and the building includes moorage and a swimming pool. The Shangri-La still stands - strongly, in concrete and steel - as a testament to Nick's commitment to the idea of living life well, luxuriously, and near the water. Nick was well known for his love of spectacular views of water and mountains, and his properties were an expression of his deep appreciation of the beauty of the Pacific Northwest - fresh, verdant, present, alive.

Nick's achievements were widely recognized, including a multi-page spread in Life Magazine in 1969 showcasing his work. Amongst other projects, Nick was also known for his Raintree restaurants in Seattle and Hawaii, and for the Jillies discothque in Honolulu, Hawaii. His son, Nick Junior, managed the restaurants and disco together with his business partner, Gregg Forsberg.

Throughout his long life, Nick loved boating, skiing, dancing, theater, and playing poker at family picnics. When Nick's beloved first wife, June, passed from this world in 1991, Nick celebrated her memory, and would always see the light of her eyes forever shining in their children and grandchildren. Yet Nick was still a young man at age 69 when we met the second love of his life, Marion Tilley. After spending 18 years of their lives together, they were married in October 2011 in a Halloween-themed extravaganza - on a boat, in Puget Sound, surrounded by hundreds of friends. In their two decades of life together, Nick and Marion traveled the world, laughed a lot, loved, and lived well.

For those who knew him, it goes without saying that Nick was the consummate host and ultimate entertainer. The same spirit of loving generosity that characterized his devotion to his family during his younger years also came to define the Nick we came to know and love in his mature years - on a boat, throwing parties, music and wine flowing, friends sharing stories and jokes... and, of course, the dancing. There was nowhere you'd rather be on the 4th of July or at Seafair than on one of Nick's boats. They danced on the dock, they danced on the decks, they danced on the bridge. Nick was most alive on his boats, on the water, amongst friends - living life with a whole heart, passionately.

Nicholas J. Zorich was a magnanimous, charismatic man with an extraordinary zeal for life, and for helping others. He was a mentor, hero, and friend to many, many people. Gracious, generous, and kind - this is the Nick Zorich we remember - the head of a large family through whom his legacy endures - the center of a circle of friends amongst whom his memory lives on. "Always leave 'em laughing," Nick was frequently reminding us. He was a man who lived life robustly, always with a twinkle in his eye. That twinkle is now a star in the sky, and it shines down on us tonight and every night.

We welcome you to join us in celebrating the life of Nick Zorich at The Edgewater Hotel, Saturday, 10 August 2013, 12:30-3:30 pm.

To get the party started, we're building an interactive memorial for Nick at https://www.facebook.com/groups/nick.zorich/, and would love your help. Simply click "Join Group" to share your photos and stories.