Remembering Gary D. Williams, architect of some of Las Cruces' iconic buildings

LAS CRUCES – Architect Gary D. Williams may not be a Las Cruces household name, but his designs created some of the city's most notable buildings, including Organ Mountain High School (formerly Oñate), the Field of Dreams and Doña Ana Community College East Mesa campus.

Williams, 71, passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 6, leaving his family and friends in shock.

His wife of 18 years, Judy Williams, said she wants him to be remembered by his hometown of Las Cruces, where he lived and worked for over 30 years.

"I'd like for people to know that he's passed," Judy said. "His employees loved him dearly."

Designing a master architect

Williams didn't set out to be an architect.

"After high school, he went to college for like six months, and his dad was pushing him to be an engineer," Judy said. "He didn't like it, so he took off and he backpacked through Europe for six months."

After returning to the United States, Williams worked in construction. Judy said he realized he could do better design than whoever was creating these projects he was working on. He went to Arizona to study architecture, graduating top of his class. He came to Las Cruces in 1988.

"He said, I can't imagine doing anything else," Judy said. "He loved it that much, but it was never a lifelong dream."

Williams had a love of travel, adventure and the outdoors. He believed that architecture should accentuate the nature it was built in, not replace it.

He looked up to Frank Lloyd Wright, who was known for his adaptable and sustainable work himself.

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With this in mind, Williams had a mission of incorporating sustainability into his projects. His design of the New Mexico State University Alamogordo Health Services building earned LEED Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council, which is the second-highest ranking awarded for sustainable constructions.

His son, Ian Williams, thought this was one of his favorite projects.

"I know that that project had a lot of really deep significance for him in his keen interest in environmental sustainability," Ian said. "I think that he viewed that as one of his most important professional accomplishments.

"He saw architecture as a way to seamlessly marry an environment and functional use for human beings, so I think he really saw it as the tie in between caring for the Earth and being on the Earth responsibly," he said.

Gary Williams opened his own firm in 2001, Williams Design Group.

His designs of the Doña Ana County East Mesa campus also earned  LEED Silver and Gold certifications.

Williams' planning and design for Organ Mountain High School, built as Oñate High in 1995, were recognized as a finalist for the prestigious MacConnell Award.

Building a family

Apart from being a great architect, Williams was also a dedicated father and husband. He has two children, Ian, 39, and Jessica, 38, who he raised primarily as a single father.

He met Judy on Sept. 25, 2002, and they immediately hit it off on a blind date. They got married on the second anniversary of their first date.

Judy had three children from her previous marriage, and she said that despite most of their children being young adults by the time they blended their families, they all became close.

"Almost immediately, we had a big Christmas that first year and the kids got to know each other," Judy said.

Four of their five children — who live all across the country — came to Las Cruces to heal after Williams' sudden passing. Judy's daughter was the only one who couldn't come because she currently lives in Vietnam.

"This sounds crazy, but I said, 'I feel so lucky to have had this last (18) years we've been together married,'" Judy said. "I couldn't ask for more. It was beautiful. The whole time has just been beautiful. Watching our careers grow and his business grow. And go into the buildings that he would build. It was just wonderful."

The couple has two grandchildren, one from Judy's children and then there's Jessica's 2-year-old son, Jackson.

Ian and Jessica said they always felt their father was a firm, but fair, leader and Jessica said she hopes to incorporates her father's lessons into her parenting of Jackson, who just turned 2.

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"I want my son to know that he is so loved and cherished, no matter what he decides to do, or who he becomes," Jessica said. "I want him to feel like he can talk to me about things that he struggles with along the way, like I did with my dad. I hope he can challenge me, like I did with my dad. I want to give him the kind of stability a sense of safety that my dad always gave me. And of course, I want him to love the outdoors."

While in town, surviving family members went on a hike through Dripping Springs Trail, where Jessica said they were able to recreate some childhood memories.

Constructing a legacy

Williams was known for being close with his employees. Craig Remmington, 74, recalls him as someone you want to get to know.

Remmington first met Williams in 2003 as contractor for one of his projects. He joined Williams Design Group as an employee, overseeing field operations. He worked for Williams for seven years.

"He was always fair with me when I was on the contracting side and always fair with me when I went to work for him," Remmington said. "He was a mover in this town to say the least."

Williams retired from designing in 2017.

"Gary was widely respected among professional clients, community, colleagues and classmates," stated Williams' lifetime friend Michael Rennard in a letter. "That stoic demeanor belied a great sense of humor and wit. Generous to a fault, he was a consistent supporter and dedicated friend to me and most I know of…I presume all."

Williams' other works include the Mustang Village in Silver City, a local soup kitchen on Amador and various chain stores, including several of Circle K convenience store locations that used to be Pik Quiks. One of his last projects was the East Mesa Public Safety Complex, which was completed in 2017.

Miranda Cyr, a Report for America corps member, can be reached at mcyr@lcsun-news.com or @mirandabcyr on Twitter. Show your support for the Report for America program at https://bit.ly/LCSNRFA.