In Memoriam: James Oleg Kruhly, FAIA

James O. Kruhly, award-winning architect, artist, and teacher, has died at 76.

He was inspired by fellow Philadelphian Louis Kahn and was quoted often in The Inquirer, Daily News, and elsewhere. Thomas Hine, former Inquirer architecture critic, said in 1991 that Mr. Kruhly’s “master plan for the Philadelphia Cricket Club is an intriguing exercise in trying to build a lot of new space in a bastion of tradition without anyone’s noticing.”

In 1984, he redesigned a small house on the Main Line for Michelle Osborn, former architecture critic for the Bulletin and USA Today, and she said: “In short, to use Louis Kahn’s phrase, Jim made the house ‘what it wanted to be.’”

Mr. Kruhly lived with Parkinson’s disease for a time, and told his son in a personal note: “I simply do not want to spend the last 20 years sitting in my armchair rereading the 12 volumes of Pushkin. I still want to dance and carouse and chase. When that ends, I will try to invent something new.”

In addition to his children, sister, and former wife, Mr. Kruhly is survived by other relatives.

Private services were held Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Donations in his name may be made to Pennsylvania Diversity Children’s Organization, 2337 Philmont Ave., Suite 106, Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19006.

More on the Inquirer article HERE.