Renowned architect Carolyn Peterson passed away on March 25 with her husband Jack H. Peterson, also an architect, by her side. She was born on August 3, 1939, in La Grange, Texas to her late parents, William and Clara Safar.

Other survivors include sister, Gwendolyn Reinke, daughter Kirsten Peterson Pelsor, and grandchildren Alex Ivan Pelsor and Emelia Mae Pelsor.

Carolyn Peterson, FAIA, began her professional career studying architecture at UT Austin in the early 1960s at a time when women composed less than 5% of the students in the program. Throughout her career Carolyn demonstrated tenacity in advancing in a field dominated by men. After her time at the University of Texas, Carolyn and many of her classmates, including her husband Jack, went to work with O'Neil Ford and Associates in San Antonio. They became part of a generation of architects who vigorously took up Ford's mantle and effectively carried it forward.

In 1966, Ford assigned Carolyn to one of the firm's earliest restoration projects – Mission San Juan Capistrano. His choice proved serendipitous, as Carolyn would become not only the leading preservationist in the office, but also one of the most prominent in Texas. As a preservation architect for some of the state's most significant buildings, Carolyn worked on the Texas Capitol, all of San Antonio's Spanish Colonial Missions including the Alamo, the Texas Governor's Mansion, and several historic county courthouses.

Her more than 50-year association with the Spanish Colonial Missions spanned dozens of projects, large and small, for the Archdiocese of San Antonio and its affiliated non-profit, Las Misiones. Carolyn also spent nearly four decades overseeing extensive preservation work for the Alamo. Through her work, Carolyn developed an unmatched understanding of our city's unique Spanish Colonial- built heritage. Beginning in 1988, Carolyn served as lead architect for the seven-year restoration of the Texas Capitol. In the 1990s, she led multiple preservation efforts at Texas county courthouses, including Bexar, Caldwell, Hays and Maverick counties. In 2009, Carolyn and FPC were tapped to lead a restoration of the Texas Governor's Mansion following a severe fire due to arson.

Other prominent projects in her portfolio include multiple buildings in Galveston's historic Strand District, Austin's Driscoll Villa, San Fernando Cathedral, and the Crockett Hotel.

While Carolyn was best known for her contributions to the building environment through her preservation work, she was a talented architect who led design for a variety of educational and residential projects, carrying out each with an eye for design, craftmanship, and contextual sensitivity. She was passionate about sharing the knowledge she gained from practice, writing articles and giving lectures on topics ranging from the restoration of the Texas Capitol to the preservation of architectural terra cotta.

Her contributions to the architecture community also included leadership roles in the American Institute of Architects, the Texas Society of Architects, the Conservation Society of San Antonio, and the Association for Preservation Technology. She was the first female architect to be elected President of the San Antonio Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1987.

As one of Texas' first professional female architects, and almost certainly its first female preservation architect, Carolyn's career and impact has been marked with several firsts. In 1979, she became principal at FPC – the first and only woman principal for the better part of three decades. She was elevated to American Institute of Architects' college of fellows in 1991 – the first woman in Texas. She remains one of only a handful of Texas women fellows today. She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 2008. The following year, Carolyn became the forty-first recipient of the Pitts' Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Texas Society of Architects, their highest award recognition. For 40 years, the awardees were all men, once again making Carolyn a pioneer for Texas women. In 2023 the TSA recognized her once again, this time fittingly awarding her the O'Neil Ford Medal, for "outstanding achievement in architectural design."

Carolyn retired from practice in 2022, becoming Principal Emeritus. In her long career, Carolyn mentored and inspired many architects and preservationists, including the current generation of female preservationists that now direct FPC's preservation studio. Inherently curious and never afraid to speak her mind, Carolyn embodied the characteristics of a leader and left an incredible professional legacy in her wake, clearing a path for generations of women to come.

Amid all her accomplishments Carolyn also was an avid tennis player, a ceramicist, a watercolorist and a collector of 200 orchids.

The family wishes to thank the special caregivers and helpers, Marina Gutierrez and Alvina Warren.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

A memorial service is planned at 10:00am, Saturday April 18th at the Parker Chapel at Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX, 78212.

In lieu of flowers,  memorial  contributions may be made in Carolyn's name to

The Conservation Society of San Antonio

1146 S. Alamo St.

San Antonio, Texas 78210  or

Bat Conservation International
PO Box 140434
Austin, TX 78714-0434