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David Bushnell Obituary
San Francisco, California -
December 8, 1957 - March 9, 2018
David Bushnell passed away suddenly on Friday, March 9. He was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and dear friend of so many. David was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up in Ithaca, New York, where he spent his summers sailing and his winters ski racing. David's love of nature can be traced to countless hours enjoying the great outdoors to the fullest. David's enthusiasm for life, care for people, love for art, the environment, social justice, and culture were an inspiration to everyone who knew him.
As co-founder and principal of 450 architects in San Francisco, David was responsible for the design and construction administration for a variety of projects including educational, residential, institutional, industrial and commercial buildings. David's work has been recognized with regional and international awards. Over the years, he practiced in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Malaysia, and Switzerland.
David served on the Board of Directors of Architects Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility, working to support environmental protection, ecological building, social justice and the development of healthy communities. He passed on his passion and knowledge to students at the ETH in Zurich, and mentored countless young architects. David earned a Bachelor's of Architecture degree at Cornell University where he formed the most amazing life-long friendships.
David is survived by his loving wife Laurence Jaquet, his beloved daughters, Léa and Lola, parents Ruth and Allen Bushnell of Ithaca, NY, brothers Peter (Cynthia) Bushnell of Cazenovia NY, and Paul (Laurie) Bushnell of Kalamazoo, MI, nephews and nieces Mark, Eric, and Virginia Bushnell, and Julia (Randy) Sivley, great-nephew Koda Sivley.
A memorial will be held at the San Francisco Waldorf High School on Sunday, March 18 from 3:00 to 5:00, followed by a reception from 5:00 to 6:30.
In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the San Francisco Waldorf High School Home Court Campaign for the new Center for Athletics and Community, an important project that David had been working on, and that is nearing construction phase. To contribute please follow this link: https://www.sfwaldorf.org/bushnellmemorial
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for David Bushnell
Sponsored by The Ithaca Journal.
3 Entries
March 28, 2018
SO sorry to hear of David's passing ... David gave me my first pair of ski's and took me down a black run at Greek Peak my first attempt ever at skiing. I went down most of it on my backside, but as he said, from that point on, the greens and blues were easy! :-) He was right, and I was hooked on skiing from that day forward!
He was a great guy, and will certainly be missed!!
RIP David!!!
Glen deWolf, Dallas, TX
John Clifford
March 24, 2018
Very sad to read of David's passing. Even though it has been far too many years, I still see his huge welcoming smile which greeted anybody he met in Ithaca and beyond I'm sure. My prayers are with his family and wide circle of friends.
Jon Bates
March 19, 2018
I was saddened to just hear of David's death. To his family; he had an active and interesting career and hope it provides some comfort to look back on his many accomplishments and that he was a valued member of his community. Dave was a very close friend through high school and parts of college and though we had not keep in contact since the early 1980s he was often in my thoughts. I will make a contribution to the Waldorf HS fund in his memory. Regards, Elmer Bates
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