John C. Cushman, III, a notable figure in commercial real estate brokerage and the former chairman of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., passed away on May 4, 2023, at the age of 82. His wife of 57 years, Jeanine, and his four sons, their wives, all 10 grandchildren and his two brothers were by his side as he fought a tough battle with cancer.
While most known for his entrepreneurship and other business achievements including his mentorship of countless people, he was fiercely dedicated to his large family and active in numerous philanthropic and patriotic organizations.
John was born on January 16, 1941, along with his twin brother Louis, to John C. Cushman, Jr. and Florence Blauvelt Cushman. His parents raised them and their brother, David, in Montclair, NJ.
John developed his competitive spirit playing ice hockey and lacrosse. He also began to develop his leadership skills in the Boy Scouts of America, where he became an Eagle Scout. He later attended Colgate University and continued the family tradition in real estate after graduating in 1963.
He initially joined the New York office of Cushman & Wakefield, the firm started in 1917 by his grandfather and great uncle, where he specialized in commercial office leasing. John moved to Los Angeles in 1967 to open the Cushman & Wakefield office and achieved great success leasing the newly developed Arco Plaza.
John and Lou left Cushman & Wakefield in 1978 to form Cushman Realty Corporation. It became a dominant brokerage firm in both John’s core Los Angeles market and Lou’s Houston market and had a large national presence with 11 offices and over 200 people.
After 22 years as an independent firm, Cushman Realty merged with Cushman & Wakefield in 2001. John served in many roles over the years at Cushman & Wakefield, including Global Chairman of the Board helping to drive global growth of the diversified real estate services firm. He remained active in the firm until his passing.
John’s most notable leasing transaction was the 4-million-square-foot lease at the World Financial Center in New York City, where he represented Merrill Lynch & Co. for its world headquarters. Inked in 1984, this remains the largest office lease ever in the United States. He led the headquarters relocation assignments for many other major corporations over his long career, including Boeing, Wells Fargo Bank, and Franklin Templeton.
John was also one of the founding members of Zaca Mesa Winery in Santa Barbara County, which remains family-owned and operated, and is now in its 50th year.
He developed and nurtured relationships everywhere. John maintained a lifelong relationship with numerous Colgate classmates. He was active in the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), World President’s Organization (WPO), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the Real Estate Roundtable, the Fisher Center, and numerous other professional organizations.
He served on more than a dozen public boards over his career, including Callaway Golf Company, where he combined his business acumen with his love of golf.
He also served on many nonprofit and higher education boards, notably serving as a trustee of Colgate University for 13 years. Colgate later granted him an honorary doctorate degree. He was an active outdoorsman, so was particularly proud to serve on the board of the National Park Foundation for many years. He also enthusiastically supported numerous organizations in Teton Valley, Idaho, which ultimately became his home.
John actively supported the Boy Scouts of America throughout his life, serving as president from 2004-2006. He was also a member of the Boy Scouts National Executive Board, the Boy Scouts Foundation, its President’s Leadership Council, and the Los Angeles Council Board. The BSA recognized his service with the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Awards. John was proud of the scouting legacy he instilled in his family. All four of his sons achieved the Eagle Scout rank and have been active volunteers at the troop level and on their respective regional councils. Three grandsons and one granddaughter have also earned the rank of Eagle, and there may still be another.
John also had a strong commitment to the United States, which began with his enrollment in the U.S. Coast Guard as a young man. He remained a staunch supporter of our military and political institutions for his entire adult life, proudly participating in the Republican Governors Association and serving on the California Region I Homeland Security Advisory Council and the California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth.
Over his career John received numerous awards including the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation Patriots Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award by Commercial Property News, and the Businessperson of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal, to name a few.
John loved spending time with family and colleagues at his ranch in Idaho where he could share his passion for the outdoors — he was a big fan of the work hard, play hard mindset. Those who knew him best will fondly remember him pursuing multiple activities in one day with boundless energy: fly fishing, horseback riding, bird hunting and golf, where he often spent more time searching for golf balls than playing. He particularly loved sharing the outdoors with his family and grandkids, of whom he was very proud. The grandkids found varying levels of entertainment with the fact that he could get every type of vehicle stuck just about anywhere.
John is survived by his wife Jeanine, his brothers Lou and David, his four sons, four-daughters in law, and 10 grandchildren: Chip, Tammy, Jason and Tim in New York; Jeff, Marissa, Jack and Kate in California; Stewart, Louisa, Charlie, Annie, Henry and Lucy in California; and Peter, Julie, Samantha and Ben in Colorado.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that individuals who would like to make a gesture in John’s honor visit a national park site or make a donation to the National Park Foundation (www.nationalparks.org) in honor of John C. Cushman, III.
