Jay Rockey 1928-2018

Forever Seattle’s grand old man of PR, Jay Rockey, died this week. I extol his greatness here so that others may benefit.

He is most famous for launching (and naming) the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. His team secured 50,000 print articles including two Life Magazine cover stories. He then started a PR agency that became the Northwest’s largest and most respected (perhaps even to this day).

What made him great was how he treated others. Friendly, optimistic and ready to step back and let others take the spotlight and the credit. He earned remarkable loyalty from clients and employees. I was one of the later when I worked in Rockey’s Portland office long ago. There was strict adherence to style guides, formats and client service. But there was always respect. It meant a lot.

I’ve worked with a lot of great people, but Jay Rockey meant a lot to my industry and to me. He won’t be forgotten.