John Alden Bentley, FASLA

Optimistic, engaging, freethinking, creative, lover of nature – those were among the qualities of internationally known landscape architect John Alden Bentley, who passed away peacefully March 26, surrounded by family in his Cincinnati home.

Bentley, 82, was born in New York City and grew up the youngest of three boys in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His father, Alden Cody Bentley, was a pilot who died in 1942 – 15 months after John was born – while testing a B-26 aircraft during World War II. He was raised by his mother, Marion Windisch Bentley, the granddaughter of Conrad Windisch, founder of Windisch-Mulhauser Brewery, Cincinnati’s second biggest brewery in the late 1800s and one of the largest in the U.S.

Bentley was a graduate of the Fay School and Tabor Academy, both in Massachusetts. In 1962, he earned his undergraduate degree in landscape architecture from Penn State, one of the nation’s leading universities in the field, and in 1964, a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Michigan.

At the age of 27 with the firm Sasaki Strong Associates, his first significant undertaking was as Project Manager for La Ronde, the extensive entertainment complex that is now the only remaining portion of the Expo ’67 World’s Fair in Montreal.

During his nearly 50-year career in Cincinnati, Bentley founded several firms, including Bentley Koepke, Inc., mentored many in his field, and created and executed landscape design for the Cincinnati region’s most prominent and award-winning projects including the Procter & Gamble World Headquarters Gardens & Plaza, Piatt Park, the Hamilton County Courthouse, Great American Ballpark, the Cincinnati Public Library Main Branch and numerous others.

He was a fellow with the American Association of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the highest honor in the profession. He was also a former President of the Ohio Chapter of ASLA, former President of the Ohio Landscape Architecture Examining Board, and associate member of the AIA, Cincinnati Chapter.

His civic involvements in Cincinnati included being Indian Hill Green Areas consultant for 42 years and a founding board member of Green Umbrella. He was also a member of the Ohio Arts Council founding advisory group, the Cincinnatus Association, the Cincinnati Preservation Association advisory board, the Ohio River Development Commission advisory board, Clean Cincinnati, Cincinnati Beautiful, Urban Forestry Board, Friends of Cincinnati Parks Board, and the Village of Mariemont Architectural Review Board. He was a vestry and session member of Indian Hill Church and a member of both the Civic Garden Center and the Cincinnati Nature Center.

A Celebration of Life will take place from 1-4 p.m. Friday, May 12 at the Meshewa House at Turner Farm, in Indian Hill, Ohio. Memorials may be sent, in memory of John Alden Bentley, to: The Green Umbrella, P.O. Box 14270, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45250, and to the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, 2715 Reading Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45206

Cameron Man, ASLA Past President

 

Cameron R J Man, BArch, MLA, FASLA, FCSLA, FCELA passed away on Vancouver Island, British Columbia on April 1, 2023 at the age of 88,
Born in Russell, Manitoba he earned a BArch from the University of Manitoba in 1959, followed by an MLA at the University of California, Berkeley in 1964, under the mentorship of the renowned Garrett Eckbo.

He worked in private practice with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in San Francisco, then partnered with colleagues in Winnipeg to establish Man,Taylor, Muret and Urquhart in 1966 that later became Lombard North Group.

In 1971 he became a full-time educator, heading the landscape architecture program at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In 1975, he moved to the University of Guelph as Director of the LA program. During his time in Guelph he was also a partner in The Landplan Collaborative. He left Guelph in 1989 to chair the LA program at Mississippi State University until his retirement in 2006. He continued to be involved in teaching at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
He was widely recognized as both a distinguished practitioner and educator whose achievements have been greatly honoured. He was an outspoken advocate for the role that educators play in the viability and quality of the profession.

Cameron twice served as president of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) and was inducted into the inaugural class of the CELA Academy of Fellows. In Canada, he served as president of the British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects (BCSLA) and the Manitoba Association of Landscape Architects (MALA) and was inducted into the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) College of Fellows. He also served as president of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and was inducted into the ASLA Council of Fellows. Notably, in 2006, the ASLA awarded him the ASLA Medal, the highest honour they bestow, for lifetime achievements and contributions to the profession that have had a unique and lasting impact on the welfare of the public and the environment. He was the consummate professional.

Memorial donations may be made to the Cameron Man Memorial Annual Scholarship in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, MSU Foundation, P.O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762. To make an online gift please visit www.msufoundation.com and designate the Cameron Man Memorial Annual Scholarship.

Kevin Robert Perry, FASLA

 

Kevin Robert Perry, age 51, passed away at his Davis home on April 2, 2023, after a courageous six-month battle with ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He passed away surrounded by love with family at his side.

Kevin truly lived life to the fullest with love and devotion to his family and his career. He was a fabulous husband to his wife of 25 years, a devoted father to his three children, a respected landscape architect, and an avid golfer and gardener. He was a graduate of Elk Grove High School (1989) and UC Davis (1996). Kevin became a nationally recognized landscape architect with an expertise in green stormwater infrastructure. He was able to split his time between Portland, Oregon, and Davis, California, and to enjoy the beauty of both places.

Kevin is survived by his wife, Andrea Carlassare; children Addison, Ava and Mia; mother Darlene Onstad; father Thomas Perry; and sister Heather Boshers.

Kevin created a life intentionally lived, thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated, and ever hopeful. He made a lasting impression on the design world and inspired a new generation of landscape architects. Kevin will be deeply missed by his colleagues, his friends, and his family.

A celebration of life will be scheduled for a later date. A full obituary may be viewed at www.smith-funerals.com and www.recompose.life.

Gere Smith, FASLA

 

Gere Smith, FASLA, 1938-2023
It is with great sadness that we share the news that our
former Landscape Architecture Department Head and
faculty member Gerald L. Smith passed away on Monday
March 13, from complications of Lewy body dementia.
Following completion of his BLA degree at Iowa State,
Gere moved to California, where he had the good fortune
to work with noted landscape architects Thomas Church
and Garret Eckbo. Eckbo convinced him to return to school for an MLA, which he completed at the University of Illinois in 1968. Gere began his teaching career at the
University of Illinois in 1965 while still a student, and came to Utah State University in 1968, where he served as a faculty member until 1979. He moved on to become Department Head at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he retired in 2001. As Department Head at Cal Poly, Gere was instrumental in developing many long standing relationships with practitioners (both public and private) which in turn created several scholarships and mentorship programs for students.

Gere was an advocate of the off-campus study program for the LA Department, as well as teaching exchanges which brought several educators and practitioners to campus. Cal Poly became a wonderful community of teachers and learners. Gere also taught a variety of courses including LA History courses, in which he often came in dressed in various costumes representing many of the important figures in Landscape Architecture. Needless to say, these became quite popular courses to attend.

Gere was very active in the Council of Educators of Landscape Architecture and the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board, serving as an external reviewer on visiting accreditation teams on numerous occasions. He maintained close ties with the Utah State Landscape Architecture Department, serving as a member of the LAEP Advancement Board for many years. In 2001, Gere was named a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Gere loved the outdoors, and would join his former colleagues frequently for their annual fall “Island Park Seminar” (aka fishing trip) on the Henry’s Fork in Island Park. He had a passion for skiing and especially bicycling, completing several ‘Ride the Rockies’ as well as completing a ride across America after his retirement, collecting pledges from well-wishers to benefit both the Utah State LAEP Department and the Cal Poly LA Department.

Gere was a true craftsman who sought perfection in everything he undertook. He was an avid sketch artist, whose prolific output graced the walls of his home. An “in progress” colored pencil sketch occupied his drawing board at the time of his passing.

For more on Gere (in his own words) the following is an interview by MLA student Aaron Smith on 8-22-2013 as part of the 75th Anniversary celebration of the Utah State LAEP Department, access the transcript.

Gere was a great friend and mentor to so many. Gere is survived by his wife Sally, their children - son Garrett and his wife Wendy, and daughter Allison and her husband - along with grandchildren Ahmee Smith, Dasan & Addison Bamburg, Gere’s sister Janet (Richard) Maynard and nieces Krista, Erin and Becca and their families.

Contributed by Michael Timmons with Astrid Reeves.