Obituary: Kingsbury Marzolf (1929-2017)

Kingsbury Marzolf died peacefully at the home he designed, constructed and loved on January 4, 2017. King was a cherished husband, architect, educator, traveler and friend. In 1929 King was born in Chicago, Illinois to Leslie and Lurene Marzolf. His creative and artistic parents imbued King with a love of theatre and performance. He was educated at the Parker School in Chicago and at Washington and Lee high school in Arlington, Virginia, where he made life-long friends. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 - 1955. After military service King studied at the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Design earning his BA and MA. In 1953 King married Marion Tuttle who survives. The couple spent a year working and living in Copenhagen, Denmark, where they made many good friends. This experience launches a shared lifetime of international travel, friendships, and scholarship. Visitors to their Ann Arbor home would always find a good meal, excellent conversation and warm welcome. Kingsbury was a Professor of Architecture from 1965 2000. He specialized in architectural history which contributed to his need for constant travel and photographing of the works he taught. Much beloved by his students, he was an engaging lecturer and supportive mentor. For many years King taught at the University of Michigan's International Study Program in Florence, Italy. Fellow participants will remember King as an indefatigable architectural tour guide, lover of pork chops, and gentle counselor. King never stopped learning and teaching. In retirement he continued to travel, photographing all the U.S. state capitol buildings, and maintained his annual visits to Europe until his last two years. He continued to educate though regular lectures sponsored by the Turner Life Long Learning Institute and Elderwise. In addition to his wife, King is survived by his sister Victory Veslsey and brother-in-law Donald Vesley, niece and nephews, Jonathan and Peter Velsey, and their children, Graham, Garret, and Yashii, and countless friends. A funeral service will be held at the Muehlig Funeral Chapel, 403 S. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, on Monday, January 9, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. with visitation from 11:00 a.m. until the hour of the service. King will be laid to rest in Forest Hill Cemetery. Gifts in memory of Kingsbury Marzolf for the purchase of architectural books may be made payable to the University of Michigan, AAER College of Art and Architecture and Engineering Library, 4172 Shapiro Library, 919 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1185.  Professor Marzolf was a 50+ year member of SAH, having joined in 1965.