Legacy
by Mary-Margaret Zindren, EVP/Executive Director
The day you find out an AIA Minnesota member has died is always a difficult day. As a staff, we grow close to our members, often personally knowing the ups and downs of their careers and of their lives.
In the past few days, I learned of the passing of Tom DeAngelo, FAIA – 2008 president of AIA Minnesota, revered firm leader at Alliiance, and contributor to many inspiring, award-winning design projects. His obituary states, “While Tom believed his architecture would stand as his legacy, we believe it was his character and how he embraced life fully.” That full embrace of life is wonderfully described here.
Reading Tom’s obituary brought me back to a memorial service I attended a few weeks ago for Bill Hall, Hon. AIA – one of our most involved and esteemed Allied AIA MN members.
Like Tom, Bill’s deepest years of engagement in AIA Minnesota were before my time, during Beverly Hauschild Baron’s tenure as EVP/Executive Director, but I’d met him several times at our Annual Conference, brought there by his sons Craig and Brent. They carry on leadership of the family business of W. L. Hall Company, as well as Bill’s professional legacy – his gregarious nature and deep care for this Minnesota architecture community.
The fact is, I was unprepared for how moved I would be by the service – for what I would learn about the depths of Bill’s humanity and humility; his enthusiasm, kindness, tenacity, vision, resilience, selflessness, devotion, faith, and joy. The time spent hearing from his family members and friends about how he lived was one of the most inspiring hours I have ever spent. I will not be able to do the service or his life justice here. Even his obituary just touches the surface of his impact on others.
I bring this experience forward to you for three reasons.
First, I sometimes hear people express feeling hesitant to spend time with the exhibitors at our Annual Conference or the sponsors of our events; that they don’t like feeling “sold to.” I ask you to see the people behind the booths, behind the logos, as your partners, your collaborators, and, in many cases, as your fellow members, contributing and committed to the mission of this organization. Even more, I ask you to see them as people, realizing you likely have no idea the fullness of their lives and the ways they give of themselves to others. I ask you to see the legacy of Bill Hall not just in the glint in the eyes of Craig and Brent, but in every one of our industry partners.
My second reason for relaying this experience: I encourage you to make time for memorials. It broke my heart to miss the service for Rebecca Lewis, FAIA several years ago; I knew her quite well and still feel her loss. If a memorial service is held for Tom DeAngelo, I will do everything I can to be there, even though I knew him more through reputation than personally. I will do so to express sympathy on behalf of our architecture community but also because seeing the life and legacy of a respected colleague through the eyes of those closest to them puts everything in a wider perspective, affecting my own ways of living and giving.
Finally, I recognize that every one of us has a legacy we are building every day, through every action, every conversation. Know that we’re here for you at every career stage, and every stage of life; we are here to support you in defining what you want your legacy to be and how to get there. If you’d like to talk about the legacy you hope to leave, please reach out. I would be honored to learn from you and to support you.