Hagadone CFO Magnuson dies at 60
COEUR d’ALENE — Some people say you can’t find a bean-counter brain and a big heart in the same body.
They didn’t know Doug Magnuson.
When the Hagadone Corp. chief financial officer died Thursday shortly after his 60th birthday, succumbing to liver cancer, he was remembered for his kindness as much as his business and accounting acumen.
“He was just an all-around good, thoughtful person to everybody,” said his wife, Debbie. “He was always right there for everybody, whatever you needed.”
Magnuson made his professional mark over 30 years with Hagadone Corp., working his way up until reaching the CFO level a decade ago, taking over for the retiring Art Flagan.
“Doug contributed a great deal to the success of the Hagadone Corporation for three decades,” said Duane Hagadone, chairman of the Hagadone Corp. board. “This is a sad day for all of us here. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Debbie, and to the rest of his family.”
Brad Hagadone, the corporation’s president, said Magnuson’s passing was especially painful.
“Doug was an amazing, extremely bright man who never complained and kept such integrity through this tough battle with cancer,” he said Thursday. “I not only lost a great business associate today, but also lost a very dear friend.”
Magnuson was born in San Mateo, Calif., and grew up in Bellevue, Wash. According to his wife, Magnuson’s big heart had plenty of room for his beloveds: his wife, his children and grandchildren, and his Huskies. Magnuson graduated from University of Washington in 1980 with business and accounting degrees, joined the Hagadone Corp. in 1987 and remained a UW football season-ticket holder for 35 years.
“He loved the Huskies, his family and his job,” Debbie said. “He never complained about work, even when he was working until 9 o’clock six days a week.”
Eric Haakenson, who worked with Magnuson for 20 years and then for him the last 10, described him as “a great leader” who was “good at letting you do your job well. I hope to follow in his footsteps someday.”
But the colleague who had perhaps the most insight into Magnuson was Mont Garman, who was recently promoted to the corporation’s CFO position when Magnuson’s illness became overbearing.
Garman, best man at Doug and Debbie’s wedding in 1989, said Magnuson made a positive impact right away after leaving the accounting firm of Arthur Young in Seattle to join the Hagadone Corp. in 1987. “His personality in our office was so calming, while at the same time bringing an element of fun to the work environment,” Garman said. “He made it a joy to come to work each day.”
Magnuson didn’t wait long to spread that joy. According to Garman, Magnuson showed up at work on his first Halloween at corporate headquarters dressed up “as a ‘tacky tourist’ with his aloha shirt, straw hat and sunglasses. Bold move for the professional environment we operate in.”
But it worked.
“While he was able to pull this off, he also commanded a great deal of respect from all of his employees, co-workers and peers by standing up for principle, ethics and basic moral standards and always being fair no matter the situation,” Garman said.
Garman also lauded Magnuson’s memory, which he said bordered on uncanny.
“He thanked me just a few weeks ago for hitting him in the leg with a golf ball from the opposite side of the fairway,” Garman said. “That had to have been 25 or more years ago.”
In a parting tribute, Garman said Magnuson was the person he always went to for advice, personal or professional.
“I can’t express the amount of respect I have for this man,” Garman said. “I know we will play golf together again someday, and the courses will be more beautiful and lush than any we have ever played before.”
Arrangements for Magnuson will be announced soon in The Press.