Leslie "Les" Whitman Hitchcock

Leslie W. Hitchcock, retired bond trader, longtime Queen Anne resident, beloved husband and father, and a dear friend to many, died April 6th at University of Washington Medical Center after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was 74. Les, as he was known to all, loved skiing, golf, travel, and will long be remembered for his sly smile, quick wit, and penchant for marching to his own drummer.

Born into a military family in Okinawa, Japan, Les was the third of six children of LTC James M. Hitchcock and Maribel C. Pratt Hitchcock. As part of a military family, he traveled from early childhood to different countries, learning to ski in the Bavarian Alps on long wooden skies in laced boots. So began his lifelong love of travel and skiing. From a young age, Les had an adventurous spirit, learning to hot wire the family car and taking his brothers for a spin.

Les excelled in school, ski racing on the weekends despite breaking his arm during a competition. He also became an Eagle Scout. He continued his education at Arizona State University and graduated with a degree in psychology despite minoring in social activities. Along the way he incurred his father's wrath by dropping out of ROTC and not going into the military as his brothers had.

Upon graduating from college and bored with his first job selling insurance, Les and a friend started their own business hiring long-haired youth to sell carnations on street corners. Beginning in the Southwest, the business eventually spread to the Midwest and as far as Portland and Seattle. The young entrepreneurs eventually became the largest carnation buyers in the US. After closing the carnation business, Les moved on to finance, talking his way into his first job as a stockbroker at PaineWebber telling the head of the department what did he have to lose by hiring Les. Les then proceeded to excel in sales and found his true calling in finance. It was then that he met his wife of 50 years through a mutual friend. For their wedding in 1973, one of Les' clients, an ex-bookie, comped them a Suite at the Stardust, a mob-owned casino, where they stayed in the penthouse that normally took two years to reserve.

Les was recruited from PaineWebber to become head trader in government securities at R.M. Hobson in Phoenix. It was there he found his greatest passion in trading and later was lured away to Seattle Northwest Securities, thus beginning his love affair with the Pacific Northwest. He retired in 2000 and began indulging his love of traveling and devoting more time to fishing with trips to BC and Alaska, and particularly to golf, for which he won several trophies. He was a member at Rainier Country Club for many years.

Les and his family lived on Queen Anne for 40 years because he refused to leave and where he encouraged his son, Scott, to go to St. Anne's School. Les was devoted to his son and to the community who knew and loved him. He coached youth basketball for several years and used his love of bond trading to win many St Anne's auction bidding wars. He also volunteered at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and, after his diagnosis, at Northwest Parkinson's Foundation.

Les is survived by his wife Janet Hitchcock, and by his son Scott Hitchcock, who was inspired to follow him into finance. He is also survived by his five siblings, John, Katherine, Melinda, Keith, and Luther Hitchcock.

A celebration of life is currently being planned this summer. A tribute page is being prepared on https://www.forevermissed.com/lesliewhitchcock for tributes, memories and anecdotes. Further details on the celebration will be available at Butterworth Funeral Home and on Les' Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation which would have pleased Les greatly.

All are welcome to sign the online guestbook below and add any messages of stories for the Hitchcock family.