Oscar Thomas Marshall's Obituary
O. T. Marshall, 83, influential Memphis architect, died Sunday, October 19, 2014. He was born April 17, 1931, in Mason, Tennessee and was raised in Covington, Tennessee. O.T. was interested in design from an early age: in 1947, he led a group in Covington to plan and fund a public park. He attended Georgia Tech University, and at the age of 22, he moved to Memphis to work with two of the city’s most noteworthy architects, Lucian Minor Dent, where he gained valuable experience in classical architecture. He later joined with Gus Wadlington to open the firm of Wadlington and Marshall Architects, and in 1957, he opened O. T. Marshall Architects in 1957 after receiving the highest score on the licensing exam in Tennessee at that time. At his own firm, his architectural designs for buildings throughout Memphis, which have been cited in histories of Memphis architecture, reflected his passion for contemporary design that follows the more orderly structure of classical architecture. The glass house that he designed for his family in Raleigh exemplified his daring early modernism. It was one of the first of its kind and was featured in numerous national magazines. In 1986, he was joined in his firm by his son, Tom Marshall, former Memphis City Councilman. The firm’s designs received national awards from the American Institute of Architects and the La Biennale di Venezia Design Award in Venice, Italy. One of the principles of his architectural firm was that “intellectual curiosity never stops,” and it was a belief that he exemplified as he pursued new ideas and inspired new designs at his firm until his death. O.T. loved nothing better than attending the football and basketball games, piano concerts, and chess tournaments of his cherished grandchildren. He and his beloved wife of 65 years, Shirley Beasley Marshall, also enjoyed weekends at their house on Pickwick Lake and traveling to Europe, Australia, and Naples, Florida. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sister, Robbie Anderson; and his four children: noted artist Leigh Chadwell and her children Kelly and Marshall; Elizabeth Marshall and her husband, Colin Ruthven; Robbie Ann Pahlow and her husband, Scott, and their children, Ryan, Eston, and Mason; and Tom Marshall, who joined his architectural firm in 1986, and his wife, Lisanne, and their sons, Oscar and Austin. Family and friends will gather at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home before proceeding to graveside services at 3 p.m., Wednesday, October 22 at Memorial Park Cemetery. A celebration of his life for family and friends will follow at 4 p.m. at his home.
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