Terry Clark Gerrard - Noted Bellevue Landscape Architect

The Gerrard family sat around the dinner table three weeks ago, as they normally do, and chatted about the future.

Ian Gerrard, 23, the son of Terry Clark Gerrard, asked his father a question: "Dad," he said, "how would you like to be remembered?"

It was a gentle question.

Terry Clark Gerrard, a thoughtful man, pondered for a moment then responded: "I'd like to be remembered as a good father, a good husband and good member of my profession."

A few days later, Terry Gerrard, 55, a noted Bellevue landscape architect, became ill. He died Thursday at his home, a victim of cancer.

But his words that day - and others he could have said - remain with his family and soften the suddenness of his death.

"I told a friend of mine about the conversation our family had that day," said Julie Gerrard, his wife. "And she said he should've also said he wanted to be remembered as a good friend, because he was a good friend to everyone."

Mr. Gerrard was born Sept. 3, 1936, in Chicago, where he attended South Shore High School. After graduating in 1954, he received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in 1958 and his graduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1963. He has lived in Bellevue since 1963.

"He was a very warm person who loved his work," Julie Gerrard said.

Mr. Gerrard was a partner in the landscape architectural firm of Jongejan, Gerrard & McNeal. He was in charge of an array of projects in Whatcom County, including Hovander Homestead Park, Point Roberts Lighthouse Park, Samish Park, Silver Lake Park and the downtown business-district renovation in Bellingham.

He was also involved with Game Farm Park in Auburn, Lake Hills Greenbelt, Northeast Fourth Street Improvement and Bellevue Place.

"Terry was a very artistic person, and landscape architecture was a way of using his talents in the world in a way that was really satisfying to him," Julie said. "He really liked people. And a lot of the parks were designed with a great deal of insight from the community. He really liked the whole process of people getting involved."

His definition of success, she added, was when he visited parks he designed and saw people using them.

"Terry always said you can design a beautiful park but it should also be something people can use," Julie Gerrard said.

Mr. Gerrard was a fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), a past board member of the state chapter (WASLA) and a former trustee. He was founder of the WASLA Auction, which sponsored scholarship in landscape architecture at the University of Washington and Washington State University.

"He was held in high regard by all of his colleagues," Julie Gerrard said. "People say he set a lot of standards for the profession. And, of course, he was a teacher - without being involved in academia. He liked working with people in the profession. . . . He felt very fortunate, and wanted to give something back."

Besides his wife, Mr. Gerrard is survived by a daughter, Leah Gerrard, and a son, Ian Gerrard, all of Bellevue; by his father and mother-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. E.W. Tisdale of Moscow, Idaho; and by a cousin, Susan Siefferman of Decatur, Ill.

Memorial services will be held Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Eastshore Unitarian Church, 12700 S.E. 32nd St., Bellevue. In lieu of flowers, remembrances are suggested to the Terry Clark Gerrard Memorial Scholarship Fund, in care of WASLA, P.O. Box 95500, Seattle, 98145-2500.