John Grossmann

1947 - 2018

John Peter Grossmann

July 8, 1947 - Aug. 24, 2018

John Peter Grossmann of San Francisco, California, died on August 24, 2018. His family was with him. John was a serious man who delighted most in art, ideas and a very select and very lucky few people. He was a truly original person who led a meaningful and intentional life, and his influence continues to reverberate in the lives of those who knew him. John was the owner and principal of Grossmann Design Group (GDG), an architecture firm operating in the Bay Area since the 1980s that specialized in developing solutions to design and construction problems. GDG's clients included the Federal Government, the State of California, municipal governments and many private clients. Notable projects included the City of Pacifica's Community Center and Police Department, and historic renovations to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center. Prior to founding his own firm, he worked at Wallace, Floyd, Ellenzweig, Moore, where he was the project architect on Disney World's Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida. John was an artist, and his mixed-media works adorn the homes of his family and his friends. John was an avid — and critical! — consumer of photography and books, and, somewhat surprisingly, a huge sports and country music fan. John got his B.A. in philosophy from UMass Boston and his master's in architecture from Harvard's Graduate School of Design. He owed his lifelong belief in working toward an end to war and for tolerance towards all people to his parents, Walter and Maria Grossmann, who were historians and librarians at Harvard University and members of the Society of Friends. John is survived by his wife, Mary, his two daughters, Heather and Laura, and his sisters, Carol and Barbara.