Herman Sarkowsky
Herman Sarkowsky | |
---|---|
Born | June 9, 1925 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 | 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.
Early life and education
Sarkowsky was born to a
Career
In the 1960s, Sarkowsky founded United Homes Corporation which became the largest homebuilding company in the Northwest.
Portland Trail Blazers
In 1970, an investment group consisting of Sarkowsky,
Seattle Seahawks
At the same time that Sarkowsky was owner of the Trail Blazers, he was also attempting to establish a
Thoroughbred horse racing
Herman Sarkowsky bred and raced Thoroughbred horses. He got started in the sport in 1960 when he purchased a US$2000 claimer. He would later be an investor in Northwest Racing Associates, which would construct Emerald Downs, a racetrack in Auburn, Washington. Several horses he owned would have success in the Breeders' Cup, including Phone Chatter, which won the 1993 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and Mr. Greeley, which placed in the 1995 Sprint.[9] As of November 2007[update], Sarkowsky owned 37 thoroughbreds, including 11 mares.[2]
Philanthropy
Sarkowsky contributed to several philanthropic causes. He was a generous donor to the
Personal life and death
In 1951, Sarkowksky was married to Faye Mondschein; they had two children: Cathy Sarkowsky and Steve Sarkowsky.[3][10] He died in November 2014 in Seattle at the age of 89.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "UW Medicine Board: Herman Sarkowsky". University of Washington School of Medicine, official site. University of Washington. Archived from the original on 2007-06-17. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
- ^ a b c d e f "Profile: Herman Sarkowsky". National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Official Website. National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
- ^ a b c d Puget Sound Business Journal: "Newsmakers: In memoriam Herman Sarkowsky" December 19, 2014
- ^ WebMD Announces Completion of Merger with HLTH Corporation, Newswire, Oct 23, 2009. Retrieved 2014-01-30
- ^ "Our Board of Directors". HLTH Corporation official website. HLTH Corporation. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
- ^ WebMD board of directors webpage Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2014-01-30
- ^ a b James P. Quirk; Rodney D. Fort (1992). Pay Dirt: The Business of Professional Team Sports. Princeton University Press.
- ^ "Herman Sarkowsky". Norm Evans' Seahawks Report. 1979-11-04. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
- ^ Herman Sarkowsky bio at Breeders' Cup.com Archived 2012-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Herman Sarkowsky Obituary (1925 - 2014) the Seattle Times". Legacy.com.
- ^ Quick, Jason. "Herman Sarkowsky, original co-owner of Trail Blazers who saved franchise with a timely phone call, passes away in Seattle". oregonlive.com. The Oregonian. Retrieved 2014-11-03.