After 50 Years Robert O'Boyle Retires

Robert O'Boyle, 74, is retiring from the Parchment landscaping architecture firm, O'Boyle, Cowell, Blalock and Associates.

From outdoor decorator to designer of sustainable environments, Robert O'Boyle has helped define the role of a landscape architect in Kalamazoo. Mich.

O'Boyle, who is retiring after 50 years in the business, is excited that the profession that he introduced to Kalamazoo is moving full speed into the area of sustainability. ''Sustainable landscapes, I think, are going to be the future,'' O'Boyle said. ''They're just coming into their own.''

Robert O'Boyle, left, talks with Kenneth Peregon, president of O'Boyle, Cowell, Blalock and Associates Inc., at the landscape architecture firm's office in Parchment. O'Boyle is retiring after 45 years with the firm, which he founded.

O'Boyle did landscape design for the new Bronson Methodist Hospital.  He also led the charge on Western Michigan University projects from the time he arrived in Kalamazoo through his groundbreaking innovations at the Business Technology and Research Park on Parkview Avenue.

''I think Western and Bronson sort of epitomized my work,'' said O'Boyle, who had an ownership stake and served as president of the firm until about eight years ago. He continued to work at the firm until his retirement.

Along the way, O'Boyle, 74, has satisfied countless customers, won numerous awards, and has served as a model for many aspiring landscape architects.