Orange County, Calif., native Ronald Edmund Birtcher has passed away peacefully at his Napa home, surrounded by his wife and children, according to a statement. He was 89.
Birtcher’s real estate legacy spans several decades, starting in 1953, when he accepted a position as the sales manager for the South Hills Country Club in Covina, Calif. From there, he joined his father, Fayette, in a newly formed construction and development business based in Corona del Mar, and became one of the pioneers of the now-widespread building technique known as “tilt-up” concrete construction used in the creation of commercial and industrial properties around the world. Joined by his brother, Art, in 1961, they founded a family partnership that went on to construct, develop, market and manage well over 40 million square feet of properties from coast to coast, including the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood and the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Mart.
In 1969, Ron and Art formed
