James Edward Amrhein

1923 - 2011

James E. Amrhein (87) age, eminent structural engineer, retired executive director of the Masonry Institute of America, and adjunct professor of civil engineering at Cal State University, Long Beach.

For 56 years he was the husband of Laurette Amrhein who preceded him in death, and survived by four children, Christopher, professor of soil and environmental science, University of Calif. Riverside; Michele, retired chemical engineer; Mark, consulting geotechnical engineer in Ashland OR, and Bruce, senior biomedical engineer. They have seven grandchildren, Heather, Steven, Katie, in Riverside, Jamie and Matt in Ashland, OR and Spencer and Daniela in Los Alamitos, CA. He it the last of his generation of three sisters and brother preceded him in death. He was a member of St. Joseph parish in Long Beach. He loved to take his children fishing and camping in Utah and the Sierra Mountains. This would give Laurette free time to enjoy her own sanctuary.

Amrhein was born in Brooklyn NY, the youngest of five children of Joseph and Kunigunda Amrhein and was a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School, Manhattan College, BCE and Columbia University, MSCE. He was a member of the National Engineering Honor Society Tau Beta Pi, National Civil Engineering Honor Society Chi Epsilon, and honorary member of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California, and inducted into the SEAOC College of Fellows. He was founding and honorary member of the Masonry Society. He was a fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete Institute and the International Code Council, and he served for 6 years on the Building and Planning Commission of Long Beach.

James Amrhein was supervising structural engineer for the Portland Cement Association before joining the Masonry Institute of America. He investigated the performance of structures subjected to earthquakes in many areas of the world. He conducted research on structural walls and was given the Steven B. Barnes Award for “Tall Slender Wall Performance”. He received the outstanding engineer award from the Western States Clay Products Associates for his work.

Amrhein was the author of ten books, 32 technical publications and articles. He authored the national authoritative masonry design reference “Reinforced Masonry Engineering Handbook.”

James Amrhein lived in the Los Altos section of Long Beach for over 55 years and attended St. Joseph Church. He served with the Navy Construction Battalion Seabees in WWII on Iwo Jima and in Japan. During the Korean conflict, he constructed bases at Cubi Point and Subic Bay in the Philippines. He will be interned at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA.

A memorial mass will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 6220 East Willow St., Long Beach, CA at 3 PM on June 10. In lieu of flowers please send a donation to The Masonry Society, 3970 Broadway, Suite 201-D, Boulder CO 80304.

Luyben Family Dilday-Mottell Mortuary (562) 425-6401

www.luybenfamilyd-m.com