Jace Schmitz, the black-hatted founder and co-owner of JACE The Real Estate Co., died Thursday while on vacation in Oregon with family and friends.
Schmitz, a Sequim resident who turned 65 in December, died of natural causes in Cannon Beach, Ore., according to Matthew Randazzo, family spokesman.
Schmitz and his wife, Eileen, owned real estate offices in Sequim and Port Angeles.
He was recognized across Clallam County through ad campaigns designed by Eileen that featured a smiling Jace and his iconic black cowboy hat.
“Though many people will remember Jace for the black cowboy hat he wore in his ads, everyone who knew him well will remember Jace for his playful spirit and his gentle heart,” said Melissa Randazzo, a close family friend and former employee whom the Schmitz family asked to make a statement on their behalf.
Schmitz and his wife traveled to Oregon on Wednesday after renewing their wedding vows in Seattle, said Jeanine Cardiff, a family friend and managing broker for JACE’s Port Angeles office.
“Their love for each other is one of the great love stories I will ever witness,” Cardiff said.
“They were as in love as if they were newlyweds.”
In addition to his wife, Schmitz is survived by his children, Sica and Aaron, and his sister, Janelle.
The surviving family was returning home this weekend, Eileen Schmitz said.
“He was a wonderful human being,” she said by phone, “truly one of a kind.”
The family requested privacy at this time, Matthew Randazzo said.
Details of services in his memory had not been scheduled by this weekend.
“Jace is one of the few people in town who is easily recognized by his first name alone,” said Kelly Johnson, president of the Port Angeles Association of Realtors, in a statement.
“He was famed for his real estate activities but equally well-known for his humanitarian activities and community contributions,” she added.
“He was a longtime picture in the Port Angeles real estate family, and we are deeply saddened at his premature passing.”
Said Melissa Randazzo: “Jace was an extremely sweet, warm and kind soul who was a source of constant love and laughter to his friends and family.
“There was no more dedicated father, husband, friend and businessman, and our community has lost one of its most beloved and loving people.”
Born near San Francisco, Schmitz became a Realtor in 1969, selling land in La Jolla, Calif., a seaside resort suburb of San Diego.
In 1985, he moved to a 40-acre farm in Eden Valley to retire.
Instead, in 2004, he co-founded JACE The Real Estate Co. with his wife.
In July 2010, Schmitz was presented with a Realtor Emeritus award. He was one of only 11 Realtors in the state to achieve emeritus status with the Washington Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors.
The award is reserved for Realtors who have been in the business for 40 years or longer.
Schmitz was the co-founder of the Everything But Food Drive, a strong supporter of the YMCA and Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, and co-sponsored more 20 local youth sports teams.
In 2009, he suffered from a near-fatal bout of pneumonia from which he never quite recovered, Matthew Randazzo said.
Since that time, he has worked part time at his real estate company, turning over day-to-day operations to his wife as the broker of the Sequim office and Cardiff as the broker of the Port Angeles office.
To honor Schmitz, a passionate animal lover, his family suggests that donations can be made in his memory to the Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center, the Sequim-based wildlife rehabilitation and rescue nonprofit.
Donations in Jace’s memory can be made online at www.nwraptorcenter.com/donate.htm or via mail to Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center, c/o Melissa Randazzo, P.O. Box 2462, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
All condolences and messages can be sent directly to tribute@jacerealestate.com.