Owen Peters 1924-2000 Owen Peters, FASLA one of the Southern California Chapter's most illustrious and dedicated members died of bone cancer on October 26, 2000 in Sioux City, Iowa. Owen and his wife, Joy, moved to Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, near Sioux City in 1997, where Owen designed and built their English Tudor-style home. Owen was truly one of our profession's most distinguished Landscape Architects. He designed numerous high visibility projects including the Pacific Asia Museum, City of Westminster Civic Complex, Parker-Hannifin Corporate Headquarters, Linda Isle Entry and Streetscapes, Pasadena First Baptist Church and various projects at the University of California, Irvine but he will perhaps be best remembered for the many beautiful and refined private gardens he created for his clients. Owen greatly admired the work of Thomas D. Church and Owen's gardens reflected the same simplicity and design purity of which Church's gardens were known. Owen was born on May 4, 1924 at Sioux City, Iowa and was raised in Sioux City graduating from Central High School in 1942. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII as a pilot flying B-17s. Following military service, he attended Iowa State University graduating in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Landscape Architecture. Moving to Pasadena in 1949 he established his Landscape Architecture practice known as Eriksson, Peters and Thoms, now EPT, Landscape Architecture with Bob Eriksson and later Dave Thoms as his partners. He later established a second office in San Juan Capistrano. Owen Peters will be equally remembered for his devotion to the profession of Landscape Architecture. Owen continually gave back to the profession throughout his career. He served the Southern California Chapter as President and later as its Trustee. He was a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and was the national President of the Society in 1974 ?EUR??,,????'??? 1975. He also served as a Member of the Advisory Committee of the College of Environmental Design, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In 1968 he was appointed by then Governor Ronald Reagan to the California State Board of Landscape Architects and served a four-year term. Owen and his wife, Joy, were married in December of 1950 and would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Owen and Joy were devoted to one another and Joy always traveled with Owen to national meetings and other ASLA activities. Owen is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law Russell and Alva Peters of Tuolumne, California. Memorials may be directed to Iowa State University School of Landscape Architecture, Landscape Architecture Foundation of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Sigma Nu Fraternity of Lexington, Virginia or Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Oncology Research. Owen Peters was a man of immense integrity, talent, and humanity. His contributions to the quality of the built environment and his dedication to our profession are evidenced not only in his vast portfolio of significant work, but also by his unselfish willingness to help, support and genuinely acknowledge his colleagues for their accomplishments. Knowing Owen was a privilege. We've all lost a friend. ?????EUR??,,?EUR Tom Lockett, FASLA "I was three years old when my father, Bob Eriksson, and Owen established EPT in 1962. Over the years I listened and watched as Owen grew in stature as a Landscape Architect. His involvement with ASLA came from the heart and he managed to balance his endeavors with an increasingly strong portfolio of work. Owen was a true gentleman and he practiced with great talent and graciousness." Nord Eriksson, ASLA, Partner, EPT ?????EUR??,,?EUR Owen Peters was my best friend for fifty years and a partner sharing the drafting table next to me for the majority of those years. He was a talented professional admired and loved by all those who worked with him or came into contact with him, be they clients, architects, others in the profession or the wonderful craftsmen who helped bring his beautiful plans to life. Although Owen is best known across the country for his participation and contributions to ASLA at the national level, I'll always remember him foremost as a gifted designer. His true love was creating beautiful gardens for the hundreds of his residential clients throughout Southern California. His designs reflected the architectural character of the homes, the unique opportunities of the site and the needs and wishes of his clients. This kind and talented man will be remembered by all who worked with him at EPT. Robert Eriksson, ASLA Founding Partner of EPT