Larry LANDER

March 2, 1948 - November 5, 2022

Larry H. Lander, a retired architect, a lifelong outdoorsman, and a 50-year resident of Alaska, died unexpectedly on November 5, 2022, while visiting family in Spokane.

Larry was born in Spokane to Howard H. Lander, M.D., and Elsie Nolze Lander. A 1966 graduate of Lewis and Clark High School, he graduated from the five-year architecture program at the University of Washington in 1971. After enlisting in the Air National Guard, he moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1972 to work as an architectural designer for Gray, Rogers, Myers, and Morgan. In 1975 Larry joined GRM&M architect and partner Gerald D. Myers to found GDM Inc. in Fairbanks.

In 1977 Larry moved to open the GDM branch office in Anchorage. The firm eventually grew to include offices in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau. During his 40 years of professional practice, Larry was the principal architect or designer on hundreds of statewide projects in Alaska and traveled to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for two cold-regions projects. He retired in 2013.

Larry loved his chosen profession and was proud of his contribution to the growth and upgrade of facilities for Alaska owners, employees, and the public. He was hopeful his projects - whether a K-12 school in Golovin, a civic center in Valdez, staff complexes at Red Dog Mine and Arco/Prudhoe Bay, the Anchorage Police Department headquarters, Spenard Recreation Center, aircraft maintenance facilities for C-130s and F-22s, or the Museum of the North on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus - had a lasting, positive effect on Alaska's environment, economy and citizens.

Larry took great pleasure in architectural design, fishing, hunting, river rafting, boating, snow machining, fly-tying, and spending time at his Paxson Lake cabin in Alaska. Every fall he returned to Spokane to hunt in northeastern Washington.

He is survived by his three siblings, Jon Lander of Santa Maria, California; Vicki Brems (Chris) of Orcas Island; and Steve Lander of Spokane Valley; and nephew Zane Lander of Flagstaff, Arizona, and niece Leuren Arenberg of Santa Maria, California.