Antonio Pace, 89, taught at UW, built instruments

Antonio Pace was a lover of classical music — so much so that he devoted much of his life to playing it and to handcrafting violins, violas and cellos to produce music for others to enjoy.

For nearly two decades after his 1980 retirement as a University of Washington professor, he delicately made string instruments, one at a time, as an employee of Hammond Ashley Associates, a Des Moines business that since the mid-1960s has specialized in instrument sales and restoration.

His trademark became unusual designs that broke from tradition.

"He did his own thing. He made several drastically different designs and shapes, and they sold well," said Dave Wilson, a Hammond Ashley co-owner.

Professor Pace, who for more than a decade taught Italian and French at the UW, died Feb. 18 in a Seattle retirement residence. He was 89 and had suffered heart problems for some time, a family member said.

Born in upstate New York, the son of Italian immigrants, Professor Pace earned undergraduate and master's degrees at Syracuse University in New York before completing his doctorate in Romance languages at Princeton in 1939.

He was a faculty member at Syracuse for nearly three decades before moving west with his wife, Mary, for a UW faculty position.

His son, Julian Pace of Seattle, said Professor Pace published a number of books and articles on literature and the history of science, some specializing in Italian-American cultural and scientific relations.

"He was a teacher beloved by his students and a scholar respected by his peers," his son said.

Among honors he received for his scholarly works, his son said, was a Knighthood in the Order of Merit from the Republic of Italy in 1963.

Even as an academic, his son said, Professor Pace had honed his skill as an instrument maker, setting up a workshop in the cellar of his Wedgwood home. After retirement from the UW, his passion led to his employment with Hammond Ashley.

A meticulous craftsman, he explored new violin designs, his son said. "He knew a lot about the acoustics of violins and that enabled him to design his own shapes."

And though he was not a professional musician, "he was good enough to play in string quartets with his friends," his son said.

His handmade instruments always bore his name, signed in English, accompanied by a Latin phrase.

Besides his wife of 64 years and his son, he is survived by a daughter, Laura Pace of Portland, and a sister, Angela Pace of New York.

He was cremated and there was no service.