Horace Karl Gilford

b. 23 November 1938, d. 4 January 2007
  • Horace Karl Gilford was born on 23 November 1938 in Houston, Harris County, Texas.
  • Horace Karl Gilford died on 4 January 2007 at age 68 in Oakland, Alameda County, California, at Kaiser Hospital.
  • The following appeared on 9 January 2007 in the Alameda Times-Star: Horace Karl Gilford passed away peacefully Thursday, January 4, 2007 at Oakland Kaiser Hospital with his son and daughter-in-law, Spencer and Tara Gilford by his side. A viewing for family and friends will take place in our chapel on Thursday, January 11, 2007 from 1-5pm. Memorial service will be held Friday, January 12, 2007, 11am at Sojourner Truth Presbyterian Church, 2621 Shane Drive, Richmond. McNary-Morgan-Greene&Jackson Mortuary 510-848-1238 FD 632.
  • The following appeared on 11 January 2007 in The Oakland Tribune: (Oakland) Noted Oakland architect Horace K. Gilford had a flare for design, whether working on schools, city buildings, shopping malls or unique single-family homes. But what people remember most was his willingness to reach out and mentor young black colleagues, offering support, guidance and a forum for them to showcase their work.
         Gilford died Jan. 4 of complications from multiple sclerosis, and his death will leave a void not easily filled, friends and colleagues say. He was 69.
         In 1969, Gilford and two partners founded Advocate Design Associates, Inc. in Berkeley, the first African-American-owned architectural firm in the Bay Area. The team, with Gilford as designer, completed many community-oriented developments, including the award-winning James Kenney Community Recreation Center in Berkeley and the Sojouner Truth Manor senior housing in Oakland. Gilford set up his own firm in Oakland in the mid-1970s.
         Gilford made it his mission to help further the careers of other black architects. In the 1990s he co-founded Bay Area Black Architects to nurture and celebrate their work.
         Architect Richard Worthy said he could not put a price on Gilford's friendship and guidance, and how he made him and others feel like part of a special club.
         "Just last year I was doing my first big project ever, and I went to him and asked him to be my consultant, to hold my hand. He loved it. I was just sitting there at his feet, getting knowledge. I had been an architect for a long time, but I was scared," Worthy recalled.
         Through Bay Area Black Architects, Gilford set up a memorable show at the Oakland Museum of Art to showcase the talents of the East Bay's black architects. The exhibit included designs, art, models, colorboards, fabrics, and basically every facet of architecture.
         Gilford was born in Houston on Nov. 23, 1938. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in architecture from the University of Southern California and a bachelor of science degree in architectural engineering from California State Polytechnic University. He served as a communications department officer in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1967.
         Gilford was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987, but it didn't slow him down. He used a scooter to get from place to place when his mobility began to deteriorate.
         Over his career, Gilford worked as architectural construction manager for the Oakland Unified School District, a designer of facilities for Kaiser Permanente, project manager for Western regional shopping centers for the Taubman Co., and designer of the Beverly Center in Los Angeles.
         He was appointed assistant city architect for the city of Oakland in 1991, when historic City Hall was undergoing a seismic retrofit project. Architect Michael Willis, whose firm was working on the project and was included in the Bay Area Black Architects exhibit at the Oakland Museum, said Gilford helped "raise the bar" for black architects.
         Gilford is survived by his son Spencer Gilford of Pittsburg; daughter, Kimberly Gilford; two grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Shirley Gilford of Seattle. He was preceded in death by his son Garen Gilford.
         Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Sojourner Truth Presbyterian Church, 2621 Shane Drive, Richmond.
         A fund has been established to help architecture students at Cal Poly. Donations may be made to the Special Gifts Office, Scholarship Program, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo 93407, Attn: Allie Jones. Checks should be made payable to Cal Poly, noting it is for "Horace K. Gilford Memorial Fund."
  • Last Edited: 20 Aug 2013