Those wishing to donate in Blake Nordstrom's name are encouraged to support these organizations.

Remembering Blake

Please share your story of Blake. Your thoughts, photos and memories are a testament to who Blake was, how he lived his life and the number of people he inspired. Read Blake’s obituary.

Nordstrom made me a better person

Working for Nordstrom, on two different occasions, I got to know Blake, the Nordstroms, and many whom felt like family to me. Nordstrom felt like home. When I left to pursue a start-up, I told them I’d be back, that I wanted to retire from a company like Nordstrom. Nordstrom made me a better person....

Dimple Khurana

Prayer for Nordstrom family

Prayer of Thy healing Angels, is carried from God by Michael, Thy Archangel. Pour out, Thy Healing Angels, Thy Heavenly host upon me, And upon those that I Love, Let me feel the beam of Thy healing Angels upon me, The light of your healing hands, I will let Thy Healing begin, Whatever way God...

Blake came to my rescure but he did have to,that,s who he was.

Blake you will be missed from Extending Yourself in some cases in life you run across a angel or two glad to have met you, by phone just a year back .Your fam and the country will miss you greatly.Blake help ed me with two issues within the same year.Mr. Nordstrom said you have been...

CARL DESHAZIOR

My favorite memory of Blake

I’ve been with the company for 10 years and my career with Nordstrom has always been a positive one. It’s been comforting to know the company I work for, is supported by a great family who genuinely care about their employees. I was fortunate enough to meet Blake a couple years ago, while working at...

Liliana (Rodriguez) Teav

Highlight of my Career

I was fortunate to have known Blake for many years through my roles as store admin, regional admin, and Concierge manager at 427. He always remembered my name and made me feel as though I was one of the most important people in the store. When I was at the Concierge desk, Blake would seek...

Charna (Greenstein) Newmark

God sent man

Blake was an awsome person. Whenever hr visited the store he always would smile and speak to you and treat you like family. There was a couple of times I had to reach out to him reagarding some problems. He all ways took the time to listen and resolve what ever the issue was. He...

Perma Alonzo

blake

I am new to the Nordstrom company and I watched Blakes service! wow did it touch home base he seemed like a very amazing person and down to earth human I would have loved to have the pleasure of meeting him but that’s not how life panned out! my condolences go to the Nordstrom family...

Memories

Brought me to tears hearing about Blake.My self having similar health issues the last couple years and being a 30 year employee at Nordstrom really struck me. Not only did Blake assist in hiring me way back then, he was my football coach when I was in grade school for two years. I can vividly...

Mike Williams. ( Northgate)

You are still with us!

Blake was all about the people, and making sure the customers were happy and came first! After 24+ years with this FAMILY company….I know it and I feel it! I have had numerous jobs, management included….but, I can tell you, that my latest job will have Blake’s spirit helping me to find that “last in...

Debby Olsen store 421

Such a kind man.

When I was brand new to the company Blake was visiting our store, came by our department to shake our hands and chat. He was such a kind man who was so approachable. Love all the charitable things that nordstrom does for local communities. Bless his family, love one another.

Michelle Z.

Great Impression!

I’m fairly new to the company, within Technology and I’ve only seen Blake speak three times during Tech updates, etc. I also worked on the Manhattan store effort and we attended a celebration afterwards where I did shake his hand and introduce myself. In just a short interaction and minimal occasions seeing him speak, he...

Kind and Generous

Blake was always kind and generous with his feedback for me and my team. After a meeting, he’d often send an email thanking me and my team for our work and outlining what he liked about the meeting and what he thought we should change next time. One time I replied back with a suggestion...

Wayne Heller

When I first met Blake

I have been with Nordstrom for 13 years, when I joined the company in downtown sf my manager challenged me to style Blake when he walked our jewelry floor. So I did! Got him in a 60” strand of pearls with a brooch as a pendant. He was so kind as I was pushing my...

Jessamyn Shanks

Be Curious

Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories and lessons learned from Blake. I have found it so inspiring to read the impact he had on all of us. One think I appreciated about Blake was how he would answer your question with a question that was always meant to challenge us and make us...

Sadie Voeks

Always smiling and friendly

He gave me the name “Flower Lady” @ Sullivan Bay Marina. If I saw him at the Marin store, he would say hi to the Flower Lady, how he remembered!! I will plant a special flower for Blake this year at SB.

Blake Nordstrom saved my career

Blake Nordstrom saved my life. I was the Corporate Merchandise Manager for Rack Shoes, and had been in that assignment for 17 years. It was mid Oct 2009; the Rack shoe team over time had posted consistently good results, however the year before and YTD shoes results was #3 out of 4 merchandising positions. The...

Tim Bean

Thank You Blake

This was right after a meeting with Blake Nordstrom at our Lincoln Park location in Chicago. I made it a priority to make it to this meeting before work and it was everything I had hoped for and more. The information he provided was not only educational but inspirational. He made such a large company...

Inspirational Blake

Where to begin…..so much has been said about such an amazing human being. The fact that Blake has passed away still seems surreal to me even after attending the beautiful tribute and celebration of life for him last Saturday. My heartfelt sympathies continue for Molly, Alex and Andy and the entire Nordstrom family. I first...

Julie Hart

Blake, you made such a positive impact on so many.

You hired nice people and taught them skills. No wonder Nordstrom has a better track record for matching singles than any dating website out there. 🙂 My husband, Walt, and I met at the operator’s booth at Southcenter and the rest was history. My first job at Nordstrom was part time right out of college...

Marcia Storer

Genuine

I had the privilege to hear Blake speak on several occasions and he always had a way to capture the audience. Not because he was Blake Nordstrom but because he was so genuine, real, and had this way of making you feel like he was just talking to his friends. During Rec Meetings it was...

Blake’s Legacy: Inspired & Grateful

Thanks to Saturday’s service – both heartbreaking and inspiring – I am ready to share my Blake story. The theme of family resonates with me – I’ve been fond of saying that I grew up here. With over 27 years of service, more than half of my life has been spent at Nordstrom, immersed in...

Kristen Lamey

Thoughtful and Kind

I remember 2 years ago on Christmas Season, I saw Blake greeted the Salvation Army gentleman in front of the store and asked him if he was warm enough, and if he needed tea or anything at all. To me it was heart warming to see that and it show what a kind and thoughtful...

Lyly Graffam

Thank you for sharing the Nordstorm Family

Blake and Family, Thank you for sharing your family, values and caring nature with us. I feel so blessed to work for a company where leadership inspires, strives to be kind and do what is right. Not only is this a special way to connect with consumers but also creates a special community to be...

Jane Markman

Lessons Learned from an Amazing Leader

Saturday’s Memorial service for Blake was a wonderful gift from the Nordstrom family. It truly was a celebration of a life well lived, and gave us all the opportunity to move forward in our grief by focusing on all the goodness of his life. Not just professionally but even more importantly, family, friends and causes...

Molly Goe

Extend Yourself – my call from Blake

Blake’s memorial was beautiful – thank you so much Nordstrom Family for giving us all an opportunity to say good-bye. Hoping to keep the thought of “extending myself” in my heart daily. A great memory of Blake – several years ago I was in the audience of a Puget Sound Business Journal Live interview &...

Kristin Grant

To live rather than exist…

I first met Blake over breakfast after a recognition meeting at 427. He was in town for a few days and asked the store managers to select a few department managers from the region to join him for the most important meal of the day. I remember never feeling so nervous and trying to keep...

Alina Roush

My Main Man Blake

It took me a few nights of posting on the social media outlets after your passing, and now 10 days later expressing my feelings here. Before writing my thoughts, I stared at my blank tv and looked at the pictures I posted on Linked In, FB and IG to begin. I am so lucky to...

Josh Crossen

Care and Compassion

I was working at Nordstrom Galleria Dallas (720) in TBD and Blake visited our store that day. I was reorganizing a free people table when he approached me and asked me how I was enjoying my experience at the store and where I graduated from school. When I reflect back on that conversation, I admired...

Amelia Alvarez

Making a difference

So many great memories but one of my first was soon after becoming a first time manager in Kids Shoes in 1998 (Store 230 /KC). I answered the phone on a Sunday before the store opened to find Blake on the other end thanking me for the great customer letter he’d received about our department....

Jan Dubois

Beautiful Soul

For all the years i worked for Nordstrom, i remember every time Blake come to the store everybody would be so happy. He made you feel at home, like this is your business and we all family. Of course smiling and greeting you with firm hand shake. Rest in Peace Blake

Kebogile Malunga

BLAKE NORDSTROM – A LIFE WELL LIVED !

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”- Maya Angelou. I’ve been an employee 30 years and been so blessed to work for this company. I met Blake in his many visits to our store, videos of encouragement to us ,...

Judy Bendewald

Leadership – Walking the Talk

In the mid aught years we ran a pretty fantastic leadership development program, the LDP, for our senior leaders. Over 350 leaders attended over 25 programs, over three years. We had amazing sponsorship for this program, starting with Blake. Blake, Delena, Pete, Erik, and the rest of the executive leadership team attended each and every...

Julie Jones O'Leary

13 years with Company

I worked at MOA Nordstrom store and it felt like family. Blake came often to speak to us and it feels to this day like a family owned (good thing) company. Its success is due to the brothers and their love for employees and service. Whether via a funny brother video or in person, he...

Mary Sickel

A Small Gesture

I worked at Nordstrom for a year or two. In that time a mistake was made with my health insurance and although I was 25 years old my mother being the mama bear she was took over. She went right to the top and email Blake himself. He responded immediately as though my mother was...

Molly Pfeifer

Husky legend

I rowed for the same coach as Blake at the University of Washington a number of years after he did. I remember he came to watch our practice one early Saturday morning. Afterwards, he told our group of women he was impressed with our rowing and gave us encouraging words for the long training and...

Thank You Blake

I have too many Blake stories where I eventually say something ridiculous followed by Blake smiling, laughing, or shaking his head. I would take any of those reactions right about now. But the most important moment for me in my career was when Blake visited our stores in St. Louis in the winter of 2015....

Kristy Anderson

Memories with Blake circa 2002

Dear Nordstrom Family, As we continue to be in shock of the passing of our beloved leader I wanted to write a short note about my experience with Blake and how blessed I feel to have met him. I have been with the company for 17 years and I am a Personal Stylist in the...

MARISOL Salas

Meeting Blake a few years ago…

Blake came to Portland to talk of the future closures of several area stores as well as give All-Star awards to the six honorees. He spoke to the full room of Managers and Assistant Managers about each of us announcing my store, Washington Square, last. To my surprise in my introduction he pronounced my Japanese...

Marilyn Saito

People will never forget how you made them feel

I will never forget the worry that I felt after reading the email from 12/10/18, but Blake was optimistic, so I was optimistic. Like all of you, I was stunned and heartbroken when I heard that he died. I’ve worked for Nordstrom since 1976 and so enjoyed seeing Blake work his way up through the...

Dana Evans

A Great Leader Who Will Be Greatly Missed

It is impossible to adequately describe how saddened I am by Blake’s passing. We will all miss Blake’s humor, smile and kindness. Blake was a great and humble leader, who went out of his way to make people feel appreciated, heard and understood. I can honestly say I have never been in a room with...

Asher Hershey

a true people person

I had the privilege of meet Blake several times in my career at Nordstrom. I have learned many things from him, not just about retail but how to be the best me in life. He was so focused on the employees and our feelings and successes , it felt like he was one of your...

stephanie

I am grateful.

My tears having been flowing much more readily than my words of late. I will now attempt to convey a little bit of the Blake I am grateful to have known and will greatly miss. On Blake’s path to President and CEO, he had a tough (but we like to think entertaining) group of merchants...

Karen Brumbaugh Weigelt

Blake was my Bob Barker

In 1993 I was working in Women’s Shoes at the south center store. I was invited to a recognizition meeting, not knowing what I was in for! I had been secret-shopped on a return and with my service the secret shopper gave me a “perfect” score… Subsecquently my name went into a drawing. Blake called...

Valerie Patton

Thank You Blake! Your Leadership was Inspirational!

I had the pleasure of meeting Blake when he was visiting the Milwaukee FLS 282 for NSO in 2015. He Decided to come over to the Rack #272 and walk my Men’s floor with me. My dress pant rounder’s were too full and he advised that I treat my product like a grocery store. “If...

Damon Henderson

Tour Guide… of the Executive Men’s Room!

In March of 2017, our Regional Logistics Managers were in town for meetings, and the Corporate Logistics (ILI) team had arranged for them to see a finished model of the NYC stores currently under construction, found in the executive wing. Lee Cohrs saw Blake in his office and asked if he would be willing to...

Kevin Fisher

Thank you Blake

I had the great opportunity to serve Nordstrom for 27 years and worked for some amazing leaders and peers. Blake was one of those amazing leaders I had the privilege to know. He taught me to always look at the best possible ways to serve our customers and talk care of our people. I will...

Vicki Lopez

The Heart of Nordstrom

I was hired at Northgate on May 28rh, 1991. I wanted to work for Nordstrom because if I was going to work retail, I wanted to work for the best. I met Blake in 1992 upon receiving Allstar. The rest is history. Blake was genuinely appreciative and warm and thanked me for my contribution for...

Benita Valdez

Dear Blake

If a man’s life is defined by the profound sorrow felt by countless people by his passing, then he is a legend. You my friend, are among those few. Your legacy is captured by the thousands of people who have already recorded their sadness and their stories about you. I am certain that more will...

KC Shaffer

Thank you for being such a great leader!

When I received Blake’s email in early December sharing with the company his cancer diagnosis, it came as a surprise. I kept the email in my inbox, because I wanted to send him a note. But then I was afraid I’d say something, and it’d come off not as I’d intended. In the end, I...

Amy Shoemaker Pepper