TETSUO "TAKA" TAKAYANAGI

1919 - 2019

TAKAYANAGI, Tetsuo "Taka" Japanese-American Architect Passed peacefully away August 2nd, 2018 on the eve of his 99th birthday, after having lived a long and full life. The devoted husband of May Takayanagi, father to Tina Barnet of New York City and her husband Peter Barnet, Charles Takayanagi of Norwood, MA and his wife Karen Nolan, and Lisa Suman of Newton, MA and her husband Michael Suman. Grandfather to Katie Takayanagi, Aaron Barnet, Anna Barnet and Aly Suman, and great-grandfather to Esme Keiper Takayanagi and Ada Liang Barnet. Even though Taka had experienced great hardship and racism, he told family and friends that he had led a blessed life. He was born August 3, 1919 in Berkeley, California, the firstborn child of immigrant parents from Japan, Tokutaro and Hide. As a child and later a teenager he worked alongside his father cultivating cut flowers for the family business. At an early age, Tetsuo displayed artistic talents, and while attending Berkeley High School, many of his drawings and sketches were published in the school newspaper as well as the yearbook. His family was interned during WWII, and he was later drafted into the US Army. He enlisted with the U.S Military Intelligence Language School, as translators were needed in anticipation of the invasion of Japan and the Pacific islands. Preparations for the invasion of Japan were underway when Japan surrendered. Taka was aboard a troop ship in Tokyo Bay as the formal Japanese surrender was signed on the USS Missouri, and was among the first Allied troops to enter Japan. During the occupation he was assigned to the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) as a language specialist. Their primary mission was to monitor the local city and prefectural constabularies and officials. While stationed in Japan, Taka's commanding officer was a captain whose occupation in civilian life was as an architect. He noticed Taka reading a book about Bauhaus the German school of design that combined crafts with the fine arts, and he had admired the beautiful sketches of local buildings that adorned Taka's letters to his sister. The Captain was an alumnus of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and helped to gain Taka admission there. Taka's move to Chicago was not only significant for his professional life, but also for his personal life: it brought him to the same city where his longtime romantic interest and future wife, May, was living, and they soon married. At IIT, one of his professors suggested that upon graduation, Taka should attend the accredited architecture program at Harvard University's School of Design, advice which once again helped guide Taka's fate. While a student at Harvard, the acting Dean of the School of Design, Hugh Stubbins, offered Taka a job with the architectural firm he was starting, Hugh Stubbins and Associates. Taka became one of the partners and had a 36-year career with the firm, helping to design many distinctive academic and commercial buildings. However, one of the highlights of his work was a personal project: a striking, Japanese-influenced, mid-century home he designed for his sister in Berkeley, which still stands today with an impressive view of the Golden Gate Bridge. He loved his work, but when he decided to retire, he felt that he should make way for one of the younger architects. He had a great career and believed that the opportunity should be passed on to the next generation. Taka was a kind and generous man with a dry sense of humor. He was a snappy dresser in his day. Over the decades, he and his wife May have supported many causes and social justice programs. He believed in giving back to this country that had given him so many opportunities, passing it forward, donating time and money to these organizations. He made the world a better place, and he will be missed. There will be a Celebration of Life for Taka on Saturday, August 17, 2019, in Newton. For details or to RSVP, please contact Takamemorial@gmail.com

View the online memorial for Tetsuo "Taka" TAKAYANAGI