Richard E. Kaeyer, FAIA, obituary

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Florida — Dick Kaeyer, 84, died peacefully February 2, 2020 after a long battle with cancer.

Richard Erik Kaeyer was born in Yonkers, New York, the son of Erik N. and Malvina D. Kaeyer.

Dick graduated from Riverdale Country School in 1953 and Renselaer Polytechic Institute (RPI) B-Arch in 1958. Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy as a Seabee achieving the rank of lieutenant prior to returning to Columbia University to earn a Master of Architecture (M-Arch) in 1963 and receiving a William Kinne Fellowship to study architecture in Europe.

At Columbia, he met and married Lydia Smith, and they spent their first nine months together traveling in Europe on his fellowship. In August, they celebrated 56 years of marriage with family at their home in Owls Head, Maine.

Dick practiced architecture for over 40 years, first with Sherwood Mills & Smith prior to joining Edward Fleagle Architects where he became a partner in Fleagle Kaeyer in 1971 and president of Kaeyer Parker Garment in 1977. The firm ultimately became Kaeyer Garment & Davidson Architects (KG+D) in 1994 and continues today. He retired from the firm in 2000.

His extensive portfolio of work includes the Hudson River Museum, Yonkers High School, Westchester Community College – Arts & Science Building and the Administration Building, Frank B. Hall, and many other private and community-based projects.

Prior to retiring, he was president of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and was elevated to Fellow in the AIA.

Service to the community was an important part of Dick’s life. He served as president of the Yonkers YMCA and vice chair of the Northeast Regional YMCA. He was also active in local rotary clubs serving as president of the Yonkers Rotary Club and a member of both the Mount Kisco and Rockland, Maine Rotary Clubs. Over his lifetime, he was active in churches including the Riverdale Presbyterian Church, the Katonah Presbyterian Church, the Rockland Congregational Church, and the Peace Presbyterian Church in Bradenton, Florida.

In his retirement years, Dick remained busy as a master craftsman building beautifully functional wood sea kayaks and paddleboards and framing pictures for his wife Lydia’s impressive watercolor paintings. His energy and enthusiasm for life was and continues to be an inspiration to everyone who knew him.

Dick always made time for family and friends and his family loved spending time with him. He enjoyed and cared deeply about others and was one of those special people that always made you feel that you were important.

Surviving members of his family include his wife, Lydia, and two sons, Erik and Andrew. He also will be dearly missed by his two daughters-in-law, Gillian and Jill; and five grandchildren, Hadley, Megan, Lane, Finlay, and Molly.

A memorial service will be held in late spring at the family’s home in Owls Head, Maine.

Condolences may be sent via email to Kaeyer@roadrunner.com