Isaac Franco

Isaac Franco (1946-2025) an accomplished architect with a keen sense of humor died unexpectedly on February 1, 2025.

Isaac is survived by his mother, Ada; sister, Liliane; daughters, Danielle and Alanna; son-in-law Richard; grandson Ignacio; and loving partner, Linda.

Isaac was born in Alexandria, Egypt to Ada and Marcel. He rarely spoke of Egypt but for the occasional mention of a joyous, culture-filled childhood by the sea. With the displacement of the Jewish community following the rise of Arab nationalism, the family left Alexandria making a brief stop in Rome, staying with his beloved uncle Zizi. They then arrived in Montreal where Isaac earned his architecture degree from McGill University and started working for Moshe Safdie. The very first project he was involved with was the iconic Habitat 67.

Moshe Safdie brought him to Boston to help establish a new office where he spent his entire career working with many adored colleagues to design beautiful spaces for people to enjoy around the world. Some of the projects he was most proud of include the Salt Lake City Public Library, the Kaufman Center for the Performing Arts, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Ben Gurion Airport, and the Peabody Essex Museum.

Isaac always fostered a love for nature and animals. People would stop in awe to marvel at the magnificent garden he cultivated at the Newton home where he and Felice Mendell raised their daughters. In retirement, Isaac honed a new craft in photography. He particularly loved taking pictures of birds to share with his grandson Nacho and traveling the world on photography adventures with Linda. He was an extraordinary chef and a passionate fan of the Boston Celtics. He loved humor and his unique and frequent laugh will be missed.

Please join Isaac's family in celebrating his life on Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 1-4pm at the Bigelow Chapel, Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Nature Conservancy: https://preserve.nature.org