Obituary: Architect Richard Faricy fought to preserve St. Paul's past

The artistry of Richard "Dick" Thomas Faricy rises along the streets of St. Paul, Minneapolis and other cities across the country.

The World Trade Center in St. Paul (now Wells Fargo Place), the Dorothy Day Center and the historic restorations of the Como Conservatory, Bandana Square, Landmark Center and International Market Square in Minneapolis are among the more visible projects by his St. Paul firm, Winsor/Faricy Architects. But his designs also include schools, corporate offices, fire halls, houses and laundry facilities.

"There's no greater feeling than to do something I like and walk in and see it," Faricy, a known perfectionist, said during a 2003 interview that appeared in the St. Paul Port Authority newsletter. "But at times I have avoided the errors of my youth by taking a circuitous route to work."

Faricy, a lifelong St. Paul resident, died Aug. 30 at age 86. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

Faricy graduated from St. Thomas Academy in 1946, and joined the Army in 1952.

"I think the Army Corps of Engineers really solidified his interest in building and designing," said his daughter, Bridget Nyhan Faricy of St. Paul.

Stationed in Greenland, he built runways and "he tried to be a pilot," his daughter said. "He built the runways but he could never land on the runways. … He would have one wheel off the runway. He ended up technically crashing. He had hoped to be a pilot but it really didn't work out for him. He just couldn't master the landing."

"They built some really exciting projects. One was the Registry Hotel [now the Waldorf Astoria] in Naples, Florida," his daughter said. A replica is enshrined in a snow globe issued by Saks Fifth Avenue.

But Faricy's real passion was saving buildings.

"We have to preserve our buildings," Faricy told the Port Authority. "I've been a history buff all my life. It's not just the beauty of the buildings. It's important because they give us a message of our heritage. They represent part of our history."

Aside from the historic renovations, Faricy told his daughter that his favorite building was the Dorothy Day Center, a homeless shelter in St. Paul, because he had complete creative freedom. "I just loved the way the building functioned to meet the needs of the community," she said. "It was his own vision."

He was less fond of the interior of the World Trade Center. "I remember the big fountain in the middle and he said, 'Bridget, the only thing you need to know about fountains is that they leak.' "

Maria Hanft, an interior designer, said she learned a great deal working alongside Faricy, who had high standards. But mostly she remembers the fun and the celebrations after a project was finished. "He was so lively, always yelling and talking," she said. "His voice was always booming down the hall."

And she remembers his artistry that sometimes came out in odd ways. "Days before Easter, I would come into his office and he was sorting out bags of jelly beans, dividing them by color," Hanft said. "He was getting them ready to give to each of his nieces and his nephews — a single color to each one."

"In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Carole Murphy Faricy; daughter Althea Clare Faricy of St. Paul; brothers, Roland Faricy of North Oaks and Robert Faricy of Milwaukee; and one granddaughter.