In Memoriam: Henry Vannier Shriver, alumnus and architect of Cowgill and Burchard halls

Henry Vannier Shriver of Norfolk, Va., Virginia Tech alumnus and architect of Cowgill and Burchard halls, died on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. He was 84 years old.

A life-long resident of Norfolk, Shriver served in U.S. Army during World War II before earning a master’s degree in architecture from Virginia Tech.  A practicing architect with the firm of Shriver and Holland Associates in Norfolk, he was a strong professional mentor to generations of young architects in the Tidewater area of Virginia.

Shriver was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech, but perhaps his most lasting legacy at the university is as the architect of Cowgill Hall and the architect of record for Burchard Hall. The two buildings serve as the main instructional and faculty spaces for the School of Architecture + Design. In 2006, the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects gave Cowgill Hall its Test of Time Award.

Among his other noteworthy professional projects are his contributions to the Norfolk Airport and the Lief Erickson International Airport in Iceland.

Shriver is survived by his wife Lois Brackett Shriver; his sons, Kendrick Vannier Shriver and Matthew Wellman Shriver; and three grandchildren, Lauren Elizabeth Shriver, Paul Vannier Shriver, and Allison Rawlings Shriver.

A funeral will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8, at noon in Park Place United Methodist Church. A pre-service viewing will start at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Park Place United Methodist Church, 500 W. 34th Street, Norfolk, in lieu of sending flowers. Online condolences may also be sent to the family.

Related Links

• Cowgill Hall wins Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects award