Seattle, WA - Obituary for Jerry Thonn

Jerry Thonn, a cherished and vital presence in Seattle's arts and civic communities, passed away peacefully May 11th at the age of 93. A tireless advocate for creativity, community engagement, and historic preservation, Jerry left an indelible mark on the city he loved— most notably through his decades-long commitment to Pike Place Market and his steadfast support of local arts and civic initiatives.

Jerry, the youngest of three brothers, was born in 1932 in Albert Lea, Minnesota, to Agnes Bedford (Torgerson) of Worth, Iowa, and Paul Thonn (Tjønn) of Nissedal, Norway. Jerry was raised in Northwood, Iowa and then Fargo, North Dakota, where Paul was an attorney. Jerry attended Yakima Valley Junior College for two years and then went on to earn his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington in 1954.

Jerry enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in Austria and Italy, and exploring Europe during his free time. He decided to travel to Oslo, Norway with a faint hope of connecting with his father's family—relatives his father had rarely mentioned. Having located an uncle's name and address in the phone book, he walked to the address, knocked on the door, and was met by his cousin and uncle, who warmly welcomed him into their home. That moment marked the beginning of meaningful relationships with his extended Norwegian family—connections that have continued to grow and thrive across generations in the U.S., Norway, and Italy.

Jerry went on to earn his law degree from Columbia University in 1959, where, he liked to point out, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a classmate. He loved New York and enjoyed the theater (standing room on Friday nights for a dollar) and opera (by selling librettos at the Met). He returned to Seattle to begin a distinguished legal career, first as a partner at Reed, McClure, Moceri & Thonn, and then as an attorney at Helsell-Fetterman. His practice mostly involved civil lawsuits with a focus on insurance defense and insurance coverage cases. He successfully litigated numerous cases, mostly before juries, in both federal and state courts throughout the State of Washington.

In the early 1960s, while walking through the University District, Jerry ran into Ernalee McKneely, a friend from Yakima Junior College who had moved to Seattle and was working in an art gallery in Fremont. Intrigued, he accepted her invitation to dinner—homemade sukiyaki, which she never made again—and by August 1961 they were married.

Jerry and Ernalee shared a rich life filled with friendship, family, travel, lively discussions on current events, and a love of books, theater, opera, and symphony. Their homes were filled with art, music, lively dinner parties, celebrations, and fundraisers. They relished their summertime visits from grandchildren Daphne, Chloe, and Alex, who lived in Italy with daughter Jessica and son-in-law Roberto. His beloved Ernalee passed away in March 2019.

Jerry became a vital force in Seattle's civic and cultural life, combining his professional skills with a deep belief in community collaboration for civic improvement. A friend described him as "a special person bringing calm brilliance and reason to difficult circumstances".

Jerry joined the Board of Allied Arts in 1964, serving on the Board for decades and as president from 1968 to 1969. In 1969, he provided legal expertise to establish the Allied Arts Foundation. At that time, the mission of Allied Arts, formally established in 1954, was to advocate for public funding of the arts, better urban planning and architecture, and other civic improvements, while the Foundation, with 501c(3) tax status, was a regional foundation dedicated to funding the arts. With Allied Arts, he played a leading role in initiatives to plant street trees, regulate billboards, and bury overhead utility wires— efforts that helped shape the character of modern Seattle. He also supported the 1% for Art initiative, which sets aside 1 percent of capital-improvement-project funds for artworks in publicly accessible spaces.

During the 1970's, Jerry generously contributed his wisdom, vision, and dedication to projects, committees and boards that enriched the city's cultural and physical landscape. Jerry joined the Lake Union Coalition advocating for the preservation of Lake Union (which was rapidly shrinking) through thoughtful development and long-term planning. In 1968 - 1970, he participated on the Forward Thrust Committee, which put forward several King County ballot initiatives, including propositions for rapid transit (which voters failed to pass). Jerry was also a member of several Seattle City Light citizen advisory committees, including the Energy 1990 Citizens' Overview Committee, which he chaired from 1975 to 1976, and whose findings he presented to Congress.

Nowhere was his impact more deeply felt than at Pike Place Market. Jerry saw the Market not just as a marketplace, but as a vibrant hub of culture, art, and community— a place where Seattle's soul truly lived. A key figure in the "Friends of the Market" effort in the late 1960's, Jerry collaborated with Victor Steinbrueck and Ed Singler to draft the November 1971 initiative that saved the Market from being torn down and replaced with condominiums for so-called "urban renewal". He remained deeply involved in the Market for decades, including serving on the board of the Pike Place Market Public Development Authority from 1976 to 1992 and as Chair in 1977-1980 and again in 1986-1989. He also represented Allied Arts on the Market Historical Commission (1973-1976) and was a Pike Place Market Foundation Board member until 1992.

Jerry is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer (Thonn) Zanella (Diego Zanella) and Jessica Thonn (Roberto Fabbri); and grandchildren Daphne, Chloe, and Alexander Fabbri. He was preceded in death by wife Ernalee Thonn; brothers David and Paul; mother Agnes Bedford, stepfather Charles Bedford and father Paul Thonn. He will be greatly missed by his wide and devoted circle of family, friends, collaborators, and chosen family who will remember his compassion, clever and quiet humor, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people.

A celebration of Jerry's life will be held at the Center for Urban Horticulture on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. All are welcome to share stories, memories, and art in his honor.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pike Place Market Foundation, Friends of the Market, or to a local arts organization of your choice— in true Jerry spirit.