Samuel T Lanford

Like Abraham, Sam has been looking all his life “…for a city …whose architect and builder is

God. (Hebrew 11:10)

Samuel Taylor Lanford, named after favorite uncles, was born in Blanket, Texas on the twelfth

day of Christmas in 1928 and died just three days short of his 95th birthday on January 3, 2023.

He was the seventh child of eight children.

He earned his BA in Architecture from Texas A&M, and worked at San Antonio until being

called to active duty as a second lieutenant with the US Air Force, where he was stationed at

Lockborne Air Base in Ohio. It was here that he met Florence Simpson, an education major at

Ohio State at their local Church of Christ. He returned to civilian life, working in both Chicago

and New York before marrying Florence and bringing her to Manhattan to live with him.

Their oldest, “Missy” Melissa, was born in New York, and their son Leslie Taylor, was born two

years later in Germany. Ceceila Anne, their youngest, was born in 1971.

The Lanfords lived in Germany for two years before returning to his alma mater, Texas A&M,

for him to earn his Masters in Architecture and to join the teaching staff there. From 1963-1965,

they lived in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) where he and four others set up the country’s first

school of architecture at the University of Dacca.

In 1965, he was invited to join the University of Illinois faculty as teaching professor and

Assistant to the Chairman. He retired in 1992.

In addition to teaching, he designed churches and church additions from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois

and Washington State, and returned to work in India and Pakistan for short jobs as well as for

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a consultant for the Pentagon. He also conducted

workshops at the Abilene Christian and Pepperdine Lectureships.

His love for children, the disadvantaged, the handicapped, the foreigner, internationals and

those in prison cannot be calculated nor even remembered. It was reflected in his architectural

designs with access for handicapped far before national mandates made it a part of the national

consciousness. He and his wife, Flo, regularly extended hospitality to his international students

who found themselves separated from family in a strange land. They had literally uncountable

amounts of other students over to the house to share in simple meals or just hang out. They

delivered meals at Thanksgiving to poor families. They visited the elderly in nursing homes.

They sang at funerals. He carried on correspondence with those in prison or from impoverished

nations and did long distance Bible studies. At one time he was involved in almost 100

correspondence Bible studies. They served in inner cities, in the country and in other countries.

He served the church in whatever way he was called: from janitor in NYC, song leader, Sunday

school teacher, deacon, elder, designer. He was not proud.

On the other hand, he was every bit the dapper college professor, wearing bow-ties, buttondown

shirts and a tweed jacket with elbow patches. He also met Frank Lloyd Wright at a young

man. He loved architecture, art and beauty in nature. He thought my mother to be the most

magnificent woman he ever met: both in beauty and style, but also in accomplishments.

He wrote faithfully to all his family, including grandchildren: pithy one-page letters which were

well written, kind, and optimistic.

They were with their church, Philo Road Church of Christ (earlier on Lincoln Ave) for over 50

years.

About six years ago, they sold their home on Lincoln Ave and moved to the Windsor of Savoy

Retirement Community, where they lived for almost five years, and enjoyed every minute of the

community life without the stress of home repairs or fixing meals. About one year ago, they

moved to the Claiborne in Baton Rouge Louisiana, to be near one of the adult children, Les and

his family, where they have been well cared for.

Samuel was survived by his wife Florence Leah Lanford; two sisters, Ruth Williamson and Louise Looney, both of Texas, his three

children, Cecelia, Les, and Missy and their spouses, Michel, Connie, and Ed, twenty-three grand

children, and many great grandchildren.

His gentle presence will be greatly missed. He had a great sense of humor, believed the best

about everyone even when it wasn’t true and was the gentlest and kindest man we ever knew.

However, in his own words:

“If he were able to speak to us today, Sam would exhort us to “not grow weary in well doing,”

and then encourage everyone to celebrate his promotion upstairs, saying “See you later!”