I have a devotion to obituaries. Most of the time, I don't find them sad at all. Instead, it is a review of what one accomplished in life and the legacy they left behind. They actually cast a guiding light for living. While we constantly struggle in the hectic day to day life, they tell us, at the end of the day, what really matters.

Architect Art Gensler, founder of his global design firm, dies at 85

With his health failing, Gensler had recently stepped down from long terms of service on the boards of directors for California College of the Arts, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato.

But he did not step down from his own design practice and had a calendar of meetings scheduled for Monday and the rest of this week.

Gensler showed me the life I aspire to. He applied himself to the greatest extent, from leading his firm to serving the public. He was going strong until the very last day!

Over the last 15 years, Gensler gave away half of his fortune, including a $10 million bequest to endow the Cornell art, architecture and planning program in New York City.

We all have limited time in this world. As we depart, the wish is to bequest others what we have and help them live better.

2021.07.18 comments