Joseph Ehrlich

Joseph Ehrlich

Resident of Palo Alto

Long regarded as one of the pioneering "Silicon Valley" architects, passed away on September 21, 2010 at age 90.

This exceptional husband, father, war hero, architect, humanitarian, philanthropist, and mentor will be remembered for his contributions to his family, his country, his profession, and by all whose lives he touched during his illustrious life.

Joe was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City, to a working-class family. He spent his formative years during the Great Depression which, by his own admission, challenged him to never experience anything like it again.

An exceptional student against the odds, Joe graduated from City College of New York in 1941. Later that same year, he met and married his lifelong love, Miriam Kantorovich (better known as Meri).

By the end of 1943, with the United States fully involved in World War II, Joe was inducted into the Army and soon thereafter served on the battlefields of the Alsace-Lorraine region in Europe.

Joe's active wartime service was cut short in late 1944 by a wound from a landmine just prior to the Battle Of The Bulge. Not only did his injury earn him the Purple Heart, but his subsequent, insistent warnings that his company stay clear of the minefields - given in his role as a lead scout - also earned him the Bronze Star.

In 1946, Joe found himself in Chicago attending Architecture School at IIT, studying under the influence of Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. Four years later - without much more than ambition - Joe and Meri decided to move to California.

Eventually, Joe connected with, and was mentored by Palo Alto's early, still highly-respected architect, Birge Clark, with whom he was partnered for over 10 years (as the firm became known as Clark, Stromquist, Potter & Ehrlich). Early on in this process, Joe was introduced to Bill Hewlett and David Packard, and would become their principal Architect throughout much of his career. Their friendships and business relationships lasted their entire lives.

In 1968, along with his colleagues Jack Rominger and Rod Heft, he created a firm which was destined to be the leading design force for the emerging electronics companies in the area now known as "Silicon Valley." Heft left the firm in 1977.

Ehrlich Rominger Architects began designing facilities so complex that there were no existing prototypes. With mega-projects for companies like Fairchild, Varian, Watkins-Johnson, and of course, Hewlett Packard, Joe forged a legacy in the world of microelectronics that ultimately led to his admission to the coveted College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects.

Throughout his career, Joe was always involved with the community and his fellow architects. His involvement with the American Institute of Architects, his leadership for the Museum of American Heritage, and his generous charitable giving were ever-present.

Joe never left his beloved field of Architecture. He continued to mentor, advise, and serve those around him throughout his entire life. He leaves much of himself embedded in those with whom he shared his values, sensibility, drive, and joy. A great man has left a great legacy.

He is survived by his wife Meri, son Jeff, brother Jay, sister Loretta Bauer, and numerous loving nieces and nephews.

No funeral or memorial services are planned, per Joe's wishes. Anyone wishing to offer tribute to Joe is encouraged to make a contribution to the Museum Of American Heritage or the Ehrlich Rominger Scholarship Fund at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Santa Clara Valley Chapter.