Walter Pestrak's Obituary
Walter Pestrak Jr., architect, died on April 19, 2024, aged 84, in Tampa, Florida. He was born February 1st, 1940, in Warren, Ohio, the first son of Walter Pestrak Sr. and Dolores (Moore) Pestrak. He is survived by his wife Amelia, three children from his first marriage, Alexander, Gregory (Sheryl) and Nadia, and grandchildren Zachary, Oscar, Rafael, Tristan and Sebastian. Walter also embraced his step children Alvin and Irene as part of his family, as well as grandchildren Chelsea, Abigael and Jasmine, and great grandchild Dylan. He also leaves behind his brothers Tom Pestrak and Jim Pestrak, his brother Jack Pestrak having pre-deceased him.
Walter grew up in Warren, Ohio. His father was a welder turned politician, serving eventually as Mayor of Warren, where he hosted John F. Kennedy at City Hall during Kennedy’s 1960 campaign. For a few years the family lived a more rural life in Mecca, Ohio, where Walter enjoyed fishing with his brother Jack on Mosquito Lake, but they returned to Warren where Walter grew up with the optimism of mid 1950’s America. In 1963 Walter graduated with a degree in architecture from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Cleveland was a revelation; both the university and the museums of University Circle impressed him and encouraged a broadening of his thought. Walter enjoyed many nights listening to Jazz in Cleveland’s clubs (a passion shared by his brother Jack.) He briefly tried his hand at the vibraphone while in university, but he always loved the piano, and practicing new pieces, from jazz to Bach.
While in Cleveland Walter met Rosa Maria Duncan, an art student from Toronto, Canada. They were married in 1964, and moved to New York, where Walter got a job at Skidmore Owings and Merrill, then amongst the pre-eminent modern architecture firms in the country. In Manhattan Walter and Rosa Maria were introduced to the Gurdjieff Foundation, which remained an influence on their lives. After a few years they moved to an early 18th century former inn in Piermont, NY, and then to 4 acres of idyllic woodland in Bedford, NY, where Walter designed his first house, for his young family. He soon put out his shingle as a country architect, designing houses in the landscape, often perched dramatically on granite outcroppings. He became close friends with many of his clients, and also enjoyed the company of craftsmen and artisans. In 1984, seeking the possibilities that a city can offer, the family moved to Toronto. Walter worked for several firms, eventually becoming Director of Robbie, Young+Wright Architects. Always drawn to artists, he became a friend of the dancer Robert Desrosier, and a board member of Desrosier Dance Theater. In 1991 Walter moved to Hong Kong for work, starting his firm Asia Pacific Designs and eventually becoming Architect for the Guangzhou Luhu Golf and Country Club across the border in China. He loved the international energy of Hong Kong, where people were eager to meet, talk, and entertain ideas, and he found both the people and places endlessly interesting.
In 1998 Walter moved to Florida in part to help care for his mother, and in 2000 he married Amelia Manansala, whom he met in Hong Kong. The four brothers from Ohio were re-united in Florida, and Walter loved joining his brothers Jack and Tom (and sometimes Jim as well) at the amateur car races in Sebring every year, as much for the camaraderie and ritual as the racing. He worked for several firms in
Tampa, completing a street car terminal among other projects, eventually working for the University of South Florida, where he managed the construction of both the CAMLS medical building in downtown Tampa and the Patel Center for Global Solutions on the campus, eventually becoming Assistant Director for Facility Design at USF Housing. He also served for nine years on the Hillsborough County Historic Preservation Grants Review Committee. He liked working with a team, and encouraging younger talent. His years at USF fulfilled an ambition to work within the university context, drawn by the idea of community and shared purpose. He continued to enjoy working and reluctantly retired when he was 83.
Walter loved ideas, and talking about ideas. He was excited by the new. He was ambitious, and also restless. He liked the idea of serendipity. He relished the sense of possibility that came from meeting new people. He was interested in the concept of society, and one’s role in it, and especially the architect’s role in it. He liked to read about science, and he liked to discuss the intersection of science and philosophy. He loved to observe the natural world, even in his backyard. He loved wine and good food (especially his wife Amelia’s cooking) and he loved his family. He was, ultimately, in awe of the world, hopeful, and at peace.
The family has requested in lieu of flowers, please donate to the Audubon Society.
https://act.audubon.org/a/donate-temp?r=true&SelectedFrequency=6&ms=digital-fund-web-website_nas_tophome_20240200&aud_path=/&_gl=1*h5wrs9*_ga*MTg2Nzg4MzA0OS4xNzE2MjM1ODIx*_ga_X2XNL2MWTT*MTcxNjIzNzk4Mi4yLjEuMTcxNjIzODA0MS4xLjAuMA..
To view the service, please click the link below. The service will start Saturday 5/25/24 @ 4pm
https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/101117/hash:B57DD07237EA0658
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