Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1189280
R ob Stewart, a Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) and MBAKS Hall of Famer and longtime Bellevue resident, passed away on September 12 A powerful voice and influential leader in regional homebuilding, Rob is remembered for his unwavering support of the industry, especially its small business owners Following his father into homebuilding, Rob worked as a carpenter through his college years After serving in the Army Corps of Engineers in Vietnam, he founded Greacen Construction in 1973, starting a long, storied career building single- and multifamily homes and advocating for the industry Over the last four decades, Rob helped lead both MBAKS and BIAW, serving as president of the two organizations in 1982 and 1997, respectively Rob was in the first group of leaders inducted into MBAKS Hall of Fame in 2006 A dedicated member, Rob served on several MBAKS committees over the years He oversaw Remembering Rob Stewart BY JAMES SLONE CONTENT SPECIALIST MBAKS He founded Greacen Construction, helped lead MBAKS and BIAW, and tirelessly advocated for the homebuilding industry. the transformation of the Builders for Better Legislation committee into the Affordable Housing Council, a name change signaling the council's openness to all members In 1984, Rob helped oversee MBAKS' move from its old Seattle location to Bellevue and contributed to the association's first history book, "Seattle Master Builders: An 80-Year Journey Through History " Throughout his service, Rob consistently championed homebuilders, viewing MBAKS and BIAW as crucial resources for companies contending with onerous regulations or the challenges of the Growth Management Act He was instrumental in acquiring the current BIAW headquarters, McCleary Mansion, and recently served as an active member on the board of BIAW's Member Services Corporation President of HCS Construction Services Company and MBAKS Past President Sherry Schwab called Rob, "a dedicated and passionate advocate for the construction industry " She recalled, "He was generous with his volunteer time at MBAKS and BIAW, and genuinely cared I will miss visiting with him in my office and seeing him in the community " Rob is survived by Shirley, his wife of 44 years, and their two children, Mike and Kerry Aside from his tireless work on behalf of the industry, Rob was known for his love of sports and enthusiastic support of the Huskies MBAKS has been incredibly fortunate to know and work with Rob We have benefited tremendously from his example of leadership, as well as the countless hours he dedicated to both MBAKS and BIAW We thank him for his service PHOTO: CC BY-SA DOG WALKING GIRL The McCleary Mansion 59 WINTER 2019 master builder community