May 21, 1918 - August 13, 2013
George Leslie Root, age 95, nodded off for the last time 8/13/2013 at home in Richfield where he and his wife recently celebrated their 62nd anniversary. He grew up in the S. Mpls. home in which he was born 5/21/1918 to parents George and Hazel Ferris Root, graduated '36 from CHS Mpls., and was a veteran of WWII. He earned a degree in architecture from the U of M and designed buildings while a partner at Larson & McLaren, Inc. He was a man of many interests, including travel, gardening, tinkering in his workshop and fishing for walleye. But most of all, George loved his family and always tried to do the right thing. He had a heart of gold and was loved deeply. Preceded in death by sister, Lucille (Wally) Fernstrom; and niece, Joy Gustafson. Survived by wife, Doris Brink Root; son Jeff; daughter, Jennifer (Douglas) Bezek; niece, Donna (Robert) Vidas; nephew Gaylord (Jeanenne) Fernstrom and their children and grandchildren. The family thanks Park Nicollet Hospice team; Anna, Leanna & Enzon for all the TLC.
Memorials to Salvation Army.
I spent the summer of 1967, working as a draftsman apprentice, at the Larson and McClaren office, located in the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis. I had the opportunity to meet and work with George Root that summer and learned more about architecture, art, drafting, and life in that brief summer than at any other period of time in my life. What a wonderful and intelligent man. The following year I turned 19 years old and was drafted into the U.S. military. My life took a turn from architecture but I’ve always had fond memories of conversations with George in the office and at lunch when we’d go to Peter’s Café just around the corner from the Tower. Charles Erickson, Tucson, Arizona