James Nordstrom Dies Of Cancer

James F. Nordstrom, the youngest of the family quartet that built a Seattle-based apparel chain into the nation’s largest specialty fashion retailer, died of cancer Tuesday at his home in Bellevue, Wash.

Nordstrom, who last year retired as company co-chairman, was 56.

“We’ve lost not only an excellent business partner and a pillar of our family, but most importantly, we’ve lost one of the best friends we had,” said Bruce Nordstrom, his cousin and fellow member of the Nordstrom Inc. executive committee.

Jim Nordstrom, his older brother John, his cousin Bruce and cousinin-law Jack McMillan were the third generation of the Nordstrom family to run the retailer, which was founded in Seattle as the Wallin & Nordstrom shoe store in 1901.

In 1968, the quartet took over day-to-day operations of a $57.3 million business from Everett, Elmer and Lloyd Nordstrom.

Last year, sales at Nordstrom Inc. reached $4.1 billion, and the company has become nationally renowned for its blend of fashion and superb customer service.

The team gave up day-to-day management last June, when they named six members of the fourth generation as co-presidents.