NEW YORK CITY-At the age of 95, Matthew J. Stacom died over the weekend. He began his career with Cushman & Wakefield in 1946 and was one of the original 20 members of the Young Men's/Young Women's Real Estate Association—becoming the third chairman of the organization.

Among his most notable achievements was in 1962, when he masterminded the sale and development of Sears Tower in Chicago. He negotiated the sale of two square blocks to Sears, Roebuck & Co., which led to the development of North America's tallest building. He then served as exclusive leasing and managing agent for the property.??

In New York, he won the Real Estate Board of New York's Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award twice, in 1962 and 1963, and most recently was awarded the YM/WREA 2013 Senior Real Estate Man/ Woman of the Year.

Born in Long Island City, Stacom was the son of Matthew J. Stacom Sr., a builder of private homes and commercial-industrial properties on Long Island during the 1920's, and the grandson of William B. Stacom, a builder of houses on the Lower East Side in the early 1900's.

Matthew Stacom graduated from Lehigh University in 1941, as have four of his six children. Among his kids are Darcy Stacom and Tara Stacom, CBRE vice chairman and C&W executive vice chairman, respectively. Both women have made repeat appearances on Real Estate Forum's annual list of women of influence.

Says a Cushman spokesman, "Cushman & Wakefield is proud of Mr. Stacom's contributions to the firm and to the real estate community. His leadership at the firm and the legacy he has passed on embodies Cushman & Wakefield's core values of being ethical, working hard, putting the client first and maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit. The Stacom name has become synonymous with iconic real estate and we know his legacy will continue through the great work of his family."

Instant Insights /

Industry Legend Matthew Stacom: 1918-2014

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