Robert J. Behnke, Active In Arts

Robert J. Behnke, a warm yet exacting businessman who was vice president of Seattle's prominent Skinner Corp. and president of the University of Washington Alumni Association, valued deep community ties.

He had his hand in a number of arts and education groups.

He also was an avid skier until he was sidelined a few years ago by a broken leg.

Mr. Behnke died Tuesday (Dec. 7) of heart failure. He was 78.

"Bob is widely known in Seattle, and he's been a real contributor here," said his brother, John F. Behnke of Seattle.

"His main interest has been the Henry (Art) Gallery, but that can be included with his other university work. He was also president of the UW Arboretum Foundation years ago, and was active with KCTS, which had its start on campus."

In 1987, Mr. Behnke accepted a national PBS Award for Excellence in Public Television Leadership for KCTS-TV, on whose board he served for many years.

He had a caring way with everything, even tending his rhododendrons and tomatoes, said his wife of 55 years, Sally Skinner Behnke.

The one-time mayor of Medina smoothed the waters in the Eastside community when the Evergreen Floating Bridge sliced it in two in the early 1960s.

"It was interesting that his father, Carl H. Behnke, was mayor of Yakima at the same time," said Mr. Behnke's son, Carl G. Behnke of Kirkland.

Mr. Behnke also enjoyed being chapter adviser and province president of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

He was the first to earn the UW Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award. As association president from 1962 to 1964, he persuaded members to expand their athletic boosterism to academic and social concerns, said his wife.

Recently retired from Skinner Corp., he was director and board chair of R.E.B. Enterprises, which owns the Sur La Table stores. R.E.B. is named for Mr. Behnke's son, Robert Edward "Ned" Behnke, a hearing-impaired artist who died in 1989.

"We had a child with a very severe hearing loss, so we were very involved in the National Technical Institute of the Deaf, as well as the Seattle Hearing and Speech Center," said Sally Behnke.

Born and reared in Yakima, Mr. Behnke earned a bachelor's degree in economics at the UW in 1943, the year he captained the UW ski team.

After attending officer's school at Columbia University, he served on Navy destroyer escorts during World War II.

Skilled at managing finances and investments, he worked many years as an executive with Skinner Corp., Alaska Steamship, and Alpac Corp. He mentored several employees.

Also surviving are his son John Skinner Behnke of Seattle and four grandchildren.

Services are 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 84th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 12th Street, Medina.

Donations may go to KCTS-TV Channel 9, 401 Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98109; Henry Art Gallery or the Department of Economics at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; or the Northwest School for Hearing Impaired Children, 15303 Westminster Way N., Shoreline, WA 98133.

Carole Beers' e-mail address is cbeers@seattletimes.com