Dick Willard, Helped Found Area Land Development Firms

Dick Willard, who founded the Quadrant Corp. in 1969 and helped start other land development and real estate businesses, had the energy of three men and never shied from a fight.

``Dick was a dynamo,'' said Weyerhaeuser Co. President John Creighton, who worked with Mr. Willard for nearly a decade. ``He was a strong entrepreneur. He was a great visionary.''

Family members said nobody ever forgot his bone-crushing handshake.

Mr. Willard, 68, of Medina, died Tuesday of cancer.

He lived in the Seattle area for 47 years, but his roots were in the Midwest - he was born in Omaha, Neb., on Oct. 13, 1941, and was a tackle on the University of Oklahoma football team.

When World War II broke out he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in the 357th fighter group in Europe, helping secure captured German aircraft installations.

After the war, Mr. Willard came to Seattle to work for his uncle as vice president of Horizon Supply Co. He later started his own building products company and went into partnership with George Bell, who was developing and building homes in Lake Hills.

Mr. Willard and Bell started a number of related businesses, including Western Construction, Sherwood Development and Interlake Realty, as well as Dick Willard & Associates, a commercial brokerage, and Crossroads Properties.

Their developments included the 39.5-acre Crossroads Shopping Mall in Bellevue, which was purchased by Terranomics Crossroads Associates of San Francisco in 1985 for $16 million.

The Quadrant Corp., which he founded, developed Puget Park and West Campus in Federal Way and the golf course communities of Twin Lakes in Federal Way, Fairwood near Renton, and Tam O'Shanter and Brae Burn in East Bellevue.

Creighton pointed out that Mr. Willard was the chief architect and prime mover of the huge West Campus project in Federal Way, originally a 1,900-acre residential and commercial development. Creighton calls it the best-planned real estate community in the Seattle area.

Mr. Willard retired in 1976 to start a cattle breeding business at his Blazing Tree ranches on San Juan Island and Ellensburg.

``He was still active in cattle and real estate - he was not the kind of man to sit around,'' said Steve Willard of Mercer Island, one of two surviving sons. ``If the real estate market were turning against him, by his ingenuity and skill and drive he could almost will the correct result.''

Mr. Willard threw himself into the cattle business, serving as secretary-treasurer of the Washington State Simmental Association for six years and editing the association's newsletter.

In its heyday, the Ellensburg ranch would attract more than 500 cattle buyers from as far away as Texas and California at the annual cattle sales, according to family members.

Mr. Willard also was active in the Seattle Master Builders and was a member of the Overlake Golf & Country Club, Seattle Yacht Club and Seattle Tennis Club.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Ruby, and sons Steve of Mercer Island and Richard of Issaquah. Mr. Willard and his wife would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Aug. 28, 1991.

A memorial service is scheduled tomorrow at St. Thomas Episcopal Church at 84th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 12th Street in Medina. A reception will follow.

Remembrances and memorials may be sent to Eastside Catholic High School Special Education Endowment at 11650 S.E. 60th St., Bellevue 98006, or Virginia Mason Medical Foundation, Cancer Research at Department 34, P.O. Box C 34935, Seattle 98124.