Stephen P. Walker III passed away on December 28, 2011 from metastatic melanoma while on vacation in Arizona. Steve was born on February 13, 1954 in Houston, Texas.
A graduate of the University of Washington, Steve earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. As a young man, Steve pursued his passion for the arts with a primary concentration in sculpture. As a teenager, Steve was already making a name for himself as a sculptor among local, national, and international collectors. Julius Boehm, the Austrian born founder of Boehm’s Candies, commissioned Steve to create a life size bronze sculpture of Jesus carrying the cross. The sculpture is located at the front door of the High Alpine Chapel adjacent to the Boehm’s candy shop and factory in Issaquah, WA. It is a primary stop when touring the Boehm’s factory and gardens.
In his mid-20s, Steve expanded his artistic expression into the planning for large parcels of land. In 1984, Steve founded Heartland Group Inc., and was an owner and Managing Director of Heartland and its affiliated entities ever since. Heartland is a multi-disciplinary real estate advisory and investment firm located in Seattle with clients and projects throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as nationally and internationally.
Steve’s expertise was particularly notable in large land predevelopment and development projects where he built a reputation by combining high-level technical capabilities with designs that moved with the natural shape of the land, and honored its historical significance. He had an extraordinary understanding of and vision for land uses. Steve’s innovative land development solutions have been featured over the years in national publications.
Although Steve’s work took him around the world, he was avidly committed to the Seattle arts community. Over the last 20 years he has been a very active with Cornish College of the Arts where he was a past Chair and current member of the Board of Trustees. He was instrumental in Cornish establishing its urban campus in the South Lake Union district of Seattle.
Steve also loved the game of golf and found much joy in pursuit of the perfect swing, the perfect shot and the perfect day on a course with people he loved. He was a member of the Snoqualmie Ridge TPC Country Club.
Steve was pre-deceased by his mother Marion and is survived by his partner of twenty-five years, Deborah Weasea, his father Steve, his sister Lin, his brother Jamie, and five nieces and nephews.
Steve’s energy, eternal optimism, his laugh, the twinkle in his eye, and his big hug will be missed by all who knew him.
There will be a private memorial service for friends and family. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation in remembrance of Stephen P. Walker III to the Office of Advancement, Cornish College of the Arts, 1000 Lenora, Seattle, WA 98121 where a scholarship in his name will be established.
Photo: Team Photogenic
