John Walter Meisenbach

John W. Meisenbach, a beloved leader, philanthropist, and visionary, passed away on October 7th surrounded by family. Born to Ned and Mary Meisenbach in Bozeman, Montana and raised in Buckley, Washington, John built a life marked by success in business, service to his community, and deep love for family.

John founded MCM in 1961, which grew to become one of the Pacific Northwest's leading financial services firms focusing on employee benefits consulting and insurance brokerage. His company's culture was one of high expectations, generosity, and a sense of belonging. MCM reflected John's belief that employees are the heart of any successful business.

He attributes his work ethic and drive for education to his mother. Mopping shop floors at 2 am, he remembered thinking...

"all my buddies were out with their girlfriends in their cars and having a good time, and I'm sitting here mopping, and I thought, you know, this is going to pay off. I'm going to be able to go to college."

John's generosity wasn't confined to his company. Together with his wife, Ginny, he made profound contributions to the community. Their philanthropic work, through the John & Ginny Meisenbach Foundation, supported causes close to their hearts, including educational scholarships at Seattle University, the College Success Foundation, and organizations like United Way. Even after Ginny's passing in 2015, John continued this legacy, embodying a spirit of compassion and service that was core to his being.

He was driven to rise early in the morning by his involvement in furthering the education of others. One of his proudest memories was his involvement in the Zion Prep school in Seattle. After meeting with the school director, Doug Wheeler and his wife Liz, he went on to build out a board of directors of executives from organizations like Boeing, Costco, Starbucks, and Seattle First National. This team raised millions of dollars for the school.

One of Meisenbach's most impactful commitments has been to Seattle University. His donations have supported scholarship programs, facilities, and student services, ensuring that students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, have access to higher education. This commitment is part of a broader philanthropic effort to reduce the financial barriers that prevent many students from completing their education.

Meisenbach's dedication to education extends further through his work with the Costco Scholarship Fund, an initiative he co-founded. This program, aimed at benefiting underrepresented and minority students, has raised many millions over time for scholarships at both Seattle University and the University of Washington. Through this effort, thousands of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds have been able to pursue their college education, underscoring Meisenbach's deep belief in the transformative power of education.

In honor of his mother, Mary Meisenbach, John established a scholarship fund and an Excellence in Teaching Award at his high school, White River. With nearly one million dollars awarded in scholarships, John was invested in the future of these students. On top of the scholarships, he hired former White River teacher Diane Campbell to serve as a mentor, guiding students throughout their college journey.

John's commitment to service and education lives on through his daughter, Michele Huff, and her work with Rise Scholars at Hamilton School. John worked closely with Michele to support the school's innovative chess program, which he helped fund. Under their guidance, Hamilton's chess program became the only school in the United States to receive the prestigious Gold FIDE Chess School Award from the International Chess Federation, a testament to its outstanding use of chess as an educational tool. Michele continues to champion these efforts, ensuring that John's commitment to community, education, and opportunity thrives for future generations.

Beyond education, Meisenbach has made substantial contributions to health and social services. He has been a supporter of Mary's Place, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter and resources to homeless women, children, and families.

Additionally, Meisenbach has held influential positions on several corporate and nonprofit boards, including Costco where he served for 35 years, Expeditors International, and M Financial Holdings. His leadership in these organizations has reinforced his reputation as both a business and civic leader.

Despite his numerous accolades, it was John's daily practice of gratitude and affirmations that grounded him. Each morning, John would begin his day with a deck of handwritten positive affirmations, a habit that reflected his deep commitment to personal growth, integrity, and optimism.

One begins... I enjoy life to the fullest and I live it to the fullest.

Another ... I am an understanding and patient man. I love to show people my patient nature.

Yet another...I do 100 sit ups each day and 100 pushups every other day.

While the patience affirmation was often aspirational, he could outplank all his granddaughters and had a zest for life that few could match. He generously shared this habit of affirmations with those around him, facilitating Pacific Institute workshops for his employees, friends, and family. It's hard to overstate how this legacy will live on through the people he has impacted, cultivating in others the same self-assuredness, ambition, and joy for life that John modeled.

Later in life, John found love again, marrying Deborah Juarez. John's recent marriage to Deborah brought him renewed joy and purpose in his later years, and their partnership reflected a deep respect and affection for one another.

His friends and family will also remember what a sense of humor John had. In the second grade, he poured ketchup on his chest and hid behind the couch, waiting to scare someone. After falling asleep, he had the whole condominium complex looking for him including the police. He never heard the end of that story. Later in life, he was always quick with a witty one liner and loved to hear a good joke.

Outside of work and service, John was an avid golfer, tennis player, and fisherman. John loved to fly fish the great rivers of the NorthWest. From Montana, where he was born, to Idaho, some of the rivers he loved were the Beaverhead, Ruby, Bitterroot and Deschuttes. Watching him work a fly rod was like watching a pro guide taking care of business. He could gently and elegantly land a dry fly to set up the perfect drift, often hooking the biggest fish of the day. For those that got to fish with him, they got to see the boy in him too.

Known to many as Uncle Chuck, Dad, Papa John, and John, he is remembered for his incredible generosity, vision, and love. He leaves behind his wife, Deborah Meisenbach, his children Mike and Supattra Meisenbach, Michele (Meisenbach) and George Huff, Mark and Michele Meisenbach, and his seven grandchildren: Lauren, Samantha, Whitney, Jordyn, Kate, Luke and Zack. He was blessed to also have Deborah's children in his life; Devon and Brandon Jones, and Antonia and Joe Juarez.

If he had any advice for those he left behind, it would be to pick your friends wisely, study accounting, always have shined shoes and a fresh haircut, and go for a walk everyday with those you love.

The majority of his estate will live on in the Meisenbach Foundation, which will continue to support the causes he cared so deeply about in life. His dedication to his family, his community, and the people he worked with will continue to inspire those who had the privilege to know him and his legacy of service will continue for generations to come.

A celebration of John's life will be held on October 28, 2024, at 10:30 AM at Benaroya Hall (200 University St, Seattle, WA 98101), followed by a reception at 12:00 PM at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel (411 University St, Seattle, WA 98101).

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to John's charities of choice: Food Lifeline, StolenYouth, and Mary's Place. These contributions will help continue his legacy of service by supporting the causes he was deeply passionate about.