The Washington rowing program mourns the passing of former UW oarsman Jon Runstad '64, a two-time IRA champion who went on to become one of the program's most ardent and loyal supporters.
 
Runstad passed away Tuesday, June 20, after a battle with cancer, his family has shared.
 
"With great sadness I inform you that Jon Runstad passed away this morning," said UW head coach Michael Callahan '06. "I spoke with Judy early today and she wanted me to know how much he loved this program and the Washington rowing community.
 
"Jon was a champion of the rowing program and helped transform it to an environment of excellence," Callahan continued. "His legacy will be passed down to generations of future Huskies through the endowments Jon and Judy so generously built.
 
As a rower at Washington, Runstad won IRA championships in the freshman eight in 1961, and in the junior varsity eight in 1964. At UW, he earned a BA in economics and a BS in building construction. Following graduation, he earned his MBA at Harvard.
 
In 1972, Runstad co-founded Wright Runstad & Company, a real estate development firm in Seattle. Wright Runstad was responsible for the construction of numerous, high-rise buildings in downtown Seattle and the greater Seattle area, and was also the primary developer for the major renovation of Husky Stadium, which was completed in 2013.
 
Among many other accomplishments and interests, Runstad served as a regent at the University, and, along with his wife Judy, a renowned Seattle attorney, endowed the UW College of Built Environment's Runstad Center for Real Estate. All the while, the Runstads remained generous and dedicated supporters of the Washington rowing program.
 
"Jon was a close friend of mine, and I consistently relied on him to shape Washington's strategy to push the limits of intercollegiate rowing," Coach Callahan added. "Jon led by example and gave back with heart – by providing our students with tremendous opportunity on the water, he fostered leaders and help build our Washington rowing community into what it is today."