Landmark Historic Mansion Sale - Mercer Island East Channel 2012

This landmark historic mansion sold for $5.3 million in December 2012. It was listed for $8.0 million in 2011, taken off the market later in the year and relisted in 2012 for $6.8 million. From the listing by Bob Bennion and Mary Snyder, Windermere “Recently refurbished estate property on 2.96 acres with lovely grounds, 175ft no-bank waterfront, and lake and mountain views. Stately 1934 Colonial designed by Edwin Ivey offers gracious interiors with exquisite millwork and hardwood floors. Entry with curved staircase; library; study; granite kitchen; paneled family room; officesuite; 5 bdr and 7+ bth, including gorgeous master suite & waterfront guesthouse; 3 fireplaces. Sweeping lawns, mature plantings; dock; 4-car garage.” The sellers were David R. and April Humphrey, the founders of Seattle based ILD Global. The buyers were Tso Ling and Shiang Wen Su. Tso Ling Su is the owner of Bellevue based Su Development, an apartment building developer.

This 7,400 sq ft mansion was built in 1934 in Seattle’s Madison Park on William Garrard Reed’s early 1900s waterfront estate (The Reed Estate). This Reed was the son of the 1^st Reed, Mark Edward, to run Simpson Investment. Simpson Investment is one of the largest property owners and family owned companies in the state. The Madison Park estate, a multi-mansion family compound, was that era’s version of the current Gates and Allen compounds. The estate is now a gated community of nine homes including Howard Schultz’s mansion (11/3/11 Seattle Mansions post). One of the original mansions (page 22 of LW 130 Homes), that is architecturally similar to this MI mansion, remains. It is occupied by William Garrard’s great nephew, Colin Moseley. Colin is now Chairman (fourth generation of family leadership) of Simpson Investment. When the Reed Estate was subdivided in the 1940s one of the mansions was cut into three pieces and barged to this Mercer Island location.

The sellers of the estate, David R. and April Humphrey, co-founded ILD Global in 1995. David, a retired Medical Doctor, is President and CEO and April is VP. The company is a business development and consulting enterprise and conducts frequent conferences, conventions and business development seminars locally, regionally and nationally for business owners. April is President of Women of Washington (WOW).

This is the former home of John J. and Emma Bonica. John, who died of a stroke at the age of 77 in 1994, was a world-renowned anesthesiologist and UW professor. He helped pioneer anesthesiology as a specialized field of medicine, was founder and chairman of UW’s Department of Anesthesiology and published numerous articles and books on the subject. Dr. Bonica was born in Italy. He came to New York City with his family when he was 11. His father died four years later and he became the major breadwinner for the family. He competed in wrestling while in high school and won both the New York City and state championships. Later he worked his way through college and medical school by wrestling professionally under the pseudonym “Johnny (Bull) Walker”, was the “Light Heavyweight Wrestling Champion of the World” and is in The Wrestling Hall of Fame. He continued to wrestle while in the army but concealed his military identity by becoming, in the ring, the “Masked Marvel.”