Blake Nordstrom, one of the co-presidents of Nordstrom Inc., died unexpectedly on Wednesday at age 58.
Nordstrom was the co-president of Nordstrom Inc., which was founded by his great-grandfather. His death follows his announcement on December 10 that he had been diagnosed the prior week with lymphoma.
The news led to an outpouring of remembrances on social media, many from employees who worked at Nordstrom under the late co-president.
People who worked with Nordstrom recalled his kindness and leadership at the company.
“My heart goes out to the Nordstrom family and everyone at the company during this difficult time. Everyone who worked with Blake knew of his passion and deep commitment to employees, customers and the communities we serve,” Nordstrom chairman Brad Smith said in a statement.
Nordstrom became president of Nordstrom, Inc. in 2000, assuming the title of co-president in 2015. He began his long career at the retailer working in the stockroom of a Seattle store in 1976, when he was still a teenager, Bloomberg reports.