Inspirations and in memory of…
I wish to share on this post the names of some people who were a great Inspiration to me.
Jim McGranahan
Jim was about 8 to 10 years older than I am and practiced architecture at the McGranahan Partnership in Tacoma, Washington.
He was a good mentor and teacher and an active participant in the AIA. On December 22, 2008 he died after a fall in the ice storm. He will be greatly missed in our community. He was an inspiration in his living and his practice.
A celebration to honor Jim’s life will be held on Saturday January 3rd at 2:00pm. The Family has selected the Sharon McGavick Student Center at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood for this tribute. For further information please see the obituary notice that will be in the Sunday December 28th Tacoma News Tribune, or view on-line at www.tribnet.com.
If you have any favorite photographs or memorabilia of Jim that you would like to share, please contact our office, McGranahan Architects at 253.383.3084.
For those of you who have asked, in lieu of flowers please make a donation to your favorite charity, or you may make a contribution in Jim’s name to the Clover Park Technical College Foundation; contact is Cecilia Loveless, Director ph 253.589.5692, or cecilia.loveless@cptc.edu.
Champ Sanford
My Father was an architect who grew up in the Depression Era and used his art and his drive to take care of us all. He let me build and draw and spend time working with him at his office. He was Port Commissioner and owned his own architectural practice in Yakima, Washington and an active participant in his community. He designed many of the churches in Eastern Washington and inspired all his children to do their very best.
Olive Shearer Sanford
My Mother was my best supporter and was so encouraging in everything that I wished to do or accomplish. She worked in my father’s architectural office and enjoyed hiking in the mountains and making a wonderful time for everyone to enjoy. Near the end of her life we were on a visit and I was very worried about money. My child needed some new clothes for school, so we took her shopping and I felt she had spent far too much money. My daughter did a fashion show of her purchases for her Grandmother and Great Aunt and they both thought she had made such lovely choices. I expressed my worry over the funding of this event and my Mother replied, “It is only money and look how much joy and happiness it brought to us all!”
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I am an architect who has been working off & on for about 30+ years (mostly off) on a book of Yakima residential architecture. After being gone for many years, I am now back in Yakima, working on the book more actively. Although I do not think we ever met, I had the pleasure of working in the office Champ Sanford designed on 5th Avenue for a short time in the mid 70′s (while working for Rod Knipper, who I have rejoined at KDF Architecture in Yakima), and am familiar with just a small part of his work. I would like to include a brief bio of Mr. Sanford, and would be grateful for any assistance you could provide. My children have suggested that I do not take another 35 years to complete the work, but at this time there is no urgency – just a desire to make steady progress. In advance – Many thanks.
Rick Ledford.
Rick – Thanks for the comment. I probably don’t have a lot of hard facts for you or even a terribly good list of all my father’s projects in eastern Washington. However, I could go on for a very long time with a lot of memories. I spent many days after school and many summer days in that office on 5th Avenue. I was 6, but still remember when it was built and new. My father practiced over 3 decades in Yakima and was a great promoter of tne Yakima Valley and all its potential. A gentleman here in Olympia with the State Office of Archeology & Historic Preservation has completed biographies of many architects of my father’s era. But I think he gave up on my father because Dad really fought and disagreed with the Seattle architectural establishment of the time. My brother has collected a fairly good list of Dad’s religious works for a start. Anyway let me know if I can offer you anything.
Tom Sanfords last blog post..Bicycles On My Mind