William Michael Lance

August 23, 1937 - January 20, 2019
William Michael (Mike) Lance, 81, architect, furniture designer, ceramic artist, and kinetic sculptor - devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away January 20, 2019 from complications of a rare renal infarction. His family remembers Lance for his kindness, witty sense of humor; how he always was designing and creating, loved sunsets, birthday barbequing with family, fajita tacos and intellectual conversations. He held special love and caring for his two daughters and six grandchildren and for his wife of 56 years.

Lance was born in Oklahoma City in 1937, the only child of William Jewel Lance and Lois Primm Lance.

A graduate in architecture at UT Austin, Lance began his career with architect O'Neil Ford and Associates, where he was project architect for the Trinity Tower, the Margarite B. Parker Chapel and the Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University. While with Ford, Lance was the principal architect and designer of the base of the Tower of the Americas for HemisFair. Also while with Ford, he was project architect for St. Mary's Hall, the Selwyn School in Denton, and a new campus for Holland Hall in Tulsa. After leaving Ford, Lance was partner in the firm of Lance, Larcade and Bechtol Architects where he was lead architect for the renovation and expansion of the San Antonio Express-News and of the renovation and expansion of the Southwest School of Art. The office closed in 2009 and Lance and partners John Larcade and Ron Bechtol retired.

In 1977 Lance was co-winner of the International Chair Competition sponsored by the San Diego American Institute of Architects receiving a $10,000 prize. The chair, hand built by Lance, was made of chrome tubing and leather. It folded flat by means of a four-bar linkage.

Beginning in the 1990's Lancer designed and made three kinetic sculptures, the first for Judy and Milton Babbitt. The Babbitt's later donated the sculpture to the City of San Antonio which subsequently was placed on the Riverwalk near Southwest School of Art.

Lance served for 10 years as a member of the San Antonio River Authority Mission Reach Committee.

Before retirement, Lance designed a house for his family in San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico. He designed and hand-made all the furniture and ceramics as well as welding handrails and balconies.

During retirement he spent hours designing a unique smoker-BBQ pit with a rotisserie - had he been able to weld it, it would have been another piece of sculpture.

Thanks for Dr. Dina Leos, with San Antonio Medical Associates, for her devoted care to Mike.

Lance is survived by Mary, a retired journalist and ceramicist, along with daughters Kathryn Freeman (Lance) and Sara Calhoun (Wes) grandchildren, Hillary Brack (Travis), Addison, Grace, Charlie and Henry - also his sister in law Sue Harvison and husband John and their three daughters, husbands and children.

Memorial Service: 2:00 p.m., Sunday, February 3rd at Margarite B. Parker Chapel, Trinity University with reception following at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell, San Antonio, TX 78223

Suggested memorial donations for Mike Lance made to Interfaith Welcome Coalition or charity that has meaning to donor.