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Saks manager considered it fashionable to help others

He helped raise money for H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Then the disease struck him.

By MARTY CLEAR
Published August 5, 2005

STEVEN J. WESTMARK: 1960-2005

OLD HYDE PARK - As general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue, Steven Westmark spearheaded events over the past few years that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute.

At the time, he never imagined he'd become a Moffitt patient himself. He was diagnosed with melanoma last October and died July 25 after a fierce fight. He was 44.

"He was just the consummate gentleman," said Susan Stern, director of the center's foundation. "He was so gracious in his dealing with everyone. And he never lost that, even in the end. The Steve I saw even a couple of weeks ago was very effervescent and very concerned with other people, and that's the same Steve I first met several years ago."

Mr. Westmark was born and raised in Cincinnati, where he started working at Saks in his early 20s, selling men's clothing. Right away, he loved the work and the company. He went on to spend the rest of his life working for the store.

He worked in management at several stores before becoming general manager of Saks at WestShore Plaza about two years ago.

He came to Tampa with his partner of 13 years, JJ Mulligan, whom he met through employees.

"My mother, my brother and my sister all worked for him at Saks in Troy, Mich.," Mulligan said. "One of the first things he said to me after we met was that he was going to move to Key West. It was just a pipe dream, but he really did always want to live in Florida."

During one of their first trips to Tampa, they drove through several neighborhoods and decided to settle in Hyde Park. Both loved restoring old houses.

Mr. Westmark worked with a devotion that surprised even his colleagues.

"He was just one of those lucky people who truly loved his work," Mulligan said. "He would cancel our vacation because someone from the New York office was coming down. His employees would always wonder why they were getting e-mails from him at 5 o'clock in the morning."

Assistant general manager Denise Richardson said he had two loves: "Saks Fifth Avenue and JJ."

Mulligan added a third.

"His dumb dog Burke," he said. "He would talk about his dog to anyone who would listen, and he'd make him sound like Lassie. But then when people would come over they'd say, "This cannot be the same dog. He's such a spaz.' "

Through his work at Saks, Mr. Westmark built strong ties with Moffitt. Saks had sponsored fundraisers for Moffitt before he came to Tampa, but he brought a new energy to the events and the store's relationship with the cancer center.

"The first time he came here, it was like meeting an old friend," Stern said. "He immediately embraced the cause, and he immediately embraced the staff. If it hadn't been for his support and involvement, these events would not have happened."

Mr. Westmark worked tirelessly on fundraisers, including the Key to the Cure, an annual event that included silent auctions of clothing and other items donated by Saks and its vendors, and makeovers for women with cancer.

"What I've been telling people is that if you knew him, you were the luckiest person in the world," Mulligan said. "And if you didn't know him, you're just out of luck."

Besides Mulligan, Mr. Westmark is survived by his mother and stepfather, Verna Westmark-Theiman and Don Theiman; and his sisters Judith Hostiuck, Patricia Westmark, Deborah Hostiuck, Carolyn Westmark and Christine Hedger.

Donations can be made in his name to the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Foundation, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, 33612.

[Last modified August 4, 2005, 08:43:14]