Jack Ward Mcsorley

Jack Ward McSorley, owner and Chief Executive Officer of J. W. McSorley Architect, P. C. in Tulsa passed away Thursday, November 19, 2009 at the St. John Medical Center in Tulsa at the age of seventy-two. He was the son of Lester Leroy McSorley and Opal Angie Collins McSorley and was born in Cleveland, Oklahoma on February 2, 1937. He was the oldest of four children and graduated from Cleveland High School in 1955. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. Shortly after graduation from high school Jack attended boot camp in the United States Army and then served honorably in the National Guard for the next four years. He was married to Leah Kesner on April 18, 1960 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma and the couple had one daughter, Leslie. Jack attended Oklahoma State University where he graduated from the OSU School of Architecture, He obtained his license and accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board in Architecture through completion of the established educational standards of the Board. During the next several years, Jack furthered his professional career in architecture by working for Tom McCrory in Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Murray, Jones and Murray in Tulsa where he worked on projects including construction of the Tulsa International Airport building, the Tulsa Assembly Center, the Tulsa Civic Center and Municipal Buildings and the First National Bank Tower. He later accepted employment with the Urban Design Group in Tulsa offering architectural, master planning, space planning, interior design, renovation, and urban design services. While at Urban Design, Jack worked on projects in Denver, Colorado; Charlotte, North Carolina; and San Antonio, Texas. In 1988, Jack established his own company, McSorley Architects providing his clients with a comprehensive range of design services including full architectural services, feasibility studies, programming, site analysis, master planning, space planning and interior design. His firmís assignments included: existing building surveys, building evaluation reports, contract documents, specifications, rental area calculations, design consultation, peer review, and expert testimony. Since its founding, McSorley Architects has continued to provide its clients with the experience and expertise gained from over 44 years of architectural practice. During the past fourteen years, it has completed commissions and served clients in the public and private sector. An example of the scope of services and list of clients including those served while with other firms, and a representative of just a few of his projects include, Gilcrease Museum of Art, Cleveland Municipal Library and Community Center, The Philbrook Museum of Art, St. John's Episcopal Church, Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, and more recently The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa Library/Learning Center, The University of Oklahoma Phases I, II, and III of Neilsen Hall in Norman, OK. A complete list of services and projects can be obtained at www.mcsorleyarchitects.com. In addition to his list of significant projects, Jack was a member of the American Institute of Architecture and a past member of the Tulsa Downtwon Rotary Club. Jack was an accomplished and enthusiastic photographer who especially enjoyed taking pictures of scenery and landmarks. He liked taking Sunday afternoon drives through Oklahoma and Kansas photographing interesting scenes, buildings and events. A gallery of his photographs may be viewed at http://www.pbase.com/camdraw/root. He is survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Leah Kesner McSorley of the home; a daughter and her husband, Leslie J. and Stuart Southerland of Tulsa, Oklahoma; two grandchildren, Nicholas Southerland and Ellen Southerland; a sister and her husband, Jean Ann and Don Paul of Whidbey Island, Washington, a brother and his wife, Michael and Mary Lea McSorley of Salem, Oregon, a sister-in-law, Tommie Scott McSorley of Houston, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Opal Angie McSorley; father, Lester Leroy McSorley and a brother, James Keith McSorley.