William "Pat" Patridge, a leader in the construction industry who built landmark buildings such as the Financial Plaza of the Pacific and Sheraton Waikiki, died April 10 in Pinehurst, N.C. He was 89.

Patridge was born on Feb. 18, 1918, in Chicago and moved to Hawai'i in 1963 as manager and partner in the construction firm Swinerton, Walberg & Westgate. Three years later he was named vice president and Hawai'i division manager, and under his direction the company built major projects, such as the Sheratons Waikiki and Maui, Hyatt Regency, Surfrider and Princess Ka'iulani hotels, and the Yacht Harbor Towers condominium.

Swinerton supervised the demolition of the Waikiki Biltmore Hotel in 1974, the first building in Hawai'i to be "imploded." He also is credited with bringing the first construction crane, often called the "State Bird," to the Islands from France.

Patridge also led the development of hotels in Saipan, Samoa and Tahiti, and managed the construction for Wailea Land Co. on Maui and C. Brewer & Co. on the Big Island.

In 1975, Patridge left Swinerton to start his own consulting firm. In 1982, he was named president of Pacific Construction, which was a giant in the local heavy-construction industry.

Under his leadership, Pacific Construction built Bishop Square, Kaiser's Moanalua medical center, the HMSA building, and condominium projects including Lili'uokalani Gardens and Century Park Plaza.

Francis Denis, a commercial real-estate developer and longtime friend, said Patridge was "one of the best construction guys in Hawai'i."

"He would go to the union meetings and if there was an impasse, he would just tell everybody to leave and he would talk to the union guys himself," Denis said. "He was a very believable guy and he had a knack of relating to the guys with the hammers."

In addition to his construction work, Patridge was a member of the O'ahu Country Club and Outrigger Canoe Club. He served as a regent for then-Chaminade College and was on the board of governors of the Plaza Club.

Patridge also served in the Pacific with the Air Force during World War II. He lived in North Carolina in his retirement.

Patridge is survived by his wife, Maxine; and daughter, Patricia "Patti" Zack.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.