The passing of Frank DePasquale leaves a void for his friends and family; he was a loved man and respected architect for decades. Fortunately, though, for them and those in Durham, the blow of his passing is softened by the enormity of his contributions to this place. "He was a leading architect in Durham, having designed and adaptively reusing some of Durham's most notable structures, from the Hayti Heritage Center to the Durham Arts Council, winning awards for both of these projects. He was also instrumental in working with City official to create the Historic District Commission in Durham City government," said Shelly Green, President and CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Celebrated at Durham's Annual Tribute Luncheon this year, Depasquale was featured in a video wherein he described his work and career in his own words. The Annual Tribute Luncheon is an occassion to celebrate a part of Durham's unique sense of place. "The preservation of architecture is an important expression of the history of our forefathers and the way that they lived. It is a teaching tool and stepping stone of knowledge into the future for those not living today, but for future generations to use to improve the quality of life for all," DePasquale said.
In his career, DePasquale designed many of the buildings that are distinctly Durham. In addition to The Hayti Heritage Center and The Durham Arts Council, he designed many churches, schools and dozens of homes. He served as President of Durham Central Park and championed the development of a downtown park from several blocks filled with weeds and derelict buildings. He later designed The George Watts Hill Pavilion for the Arts, an elegant bronze casting facility in Durham Central Park, a project that earned his another Golden Leaf Award in 2006. A slogan he used often was “Downtown Durham isn’t dying…it’s only changing.”
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