Hans Martin Smith Jr.

Hans Martin SMITH, Jr. Passed away on April 5, 2003 at age 79 from a subdural hematoma. Smith was an influential and respected leader in the Seattle business community who was widely known and respected for his honesty, integrity and loyalty. He founded Martin Smith Inc. and served as its president and chairman until he turned the reigns of the company over to his sons Mickey and Greg Smith. He also held numerous leadership roles in the Building Owners and Managers Association of Seattle, Seattle General Hospital, the Downtown Seattle YMCA, the Mercer Island School Board, Seattle Goodwill Industries, the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Seattle Association. He was a long time member of the Seattle Rotary, and was inducted into the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NSIOP) Hall of Fame in November 1999 and the Puget Sound Business Hall of Fame in October 2002. Although he truly enjoyed real estate, his greatest joy in life was his family. He was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Beverly, with whom he enjoyed 53 years of marriage, his four children Sally (Struzyna), Mickey, Bryan and Greg, and his eight grandchildren. Martin Smith's Seattle roots run deep. He was a fifth-generation Seattle native and lived on Mercer Island for fifty years. His great-grandfather Leonard Purley Smith, who was mayor of Seattle in 1881 and 1883, purchased 400 acres of Alki Point from Doe Maynard in 1868. His grandparents built the landmark Stockade Hotel, and the Smith family lived on Alki for many generations. Martin was born at home on August 11, 1923, the third child of Hans Martin Sr. and Frieda Smith. He grew up on Alki Point, was a student at West Seattle High School, and attended the University of Washington, where he became an outstanding athlete in track, wrestling and football and a member of the Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity. Martin enlisted in the Navy ROTC and left Seattle to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He served as an infantry officer in both World War II and in Korea, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, earning the Bronze Star with Combat V, five battle stars, a UN ribbon, and a Presidential Unit Citation. In 1948 Martin went to work for Henry Broderick Inc. as a property management trainee, and rose quickly through the ranks. In 1974 at age 51, he left the firm to found Martin Smith Inc.Martin has left a legacy of wonderful memories and a philosophy of positive community involvement, hard work and impeccable ethics. He positively influenced two generations of his family as well as countless friends and business associates, and will continue to touch generations to come. Martin is deeply missed, but his love will be ever present. His life truly blessed us all. A private service for his immediate family was held on April 10th. A Memorial Celebration will be held in the Spanish Ballroom at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel, 411 University Street in Seattle on April 23rd at 1:45 p.m. Memorial gifts may be made in Martin Smith's honor to Seattle Goodwill Industries or a charity of choice.