Anonymous
My sincere and heartfelt condolences to Merri Ellen, Kendra, Kathi, and your families. To me and my daughter, Miki, Jim will always be a very special person who changed our lives forever. I had the privilege of working for Jim as his Financial Controller 26 years ago and again for a brief time as a special project Consultant. It is rare these days to hear of someone who, through his kindness and guidance, is more than an employer but is also a teacher, a mentor, a friend and at times, a father figure as Jim was to me. As a very young accountant, he taught me the world and language of architecture and he taught me how to be a true leader. With his encouragement and support, I went back to college, became a CPA, and traveled the world as an executive with HOK Architects. My daughter Miki, and myself both "grew up" in Jim's office. She as a little girl who would play school in the conference room and visit with "Mr. Granahan" in his office to tell him all of her stories when I would work weekends. He always delighted in taking time for this little girl who, to this day as a mother herself, remembers him so very fondly and is saddened by his passing. Jim's business legacy will live on in more than architecture; it will thrive through the younger accountants and financial professionals that I have been blessed to mentor just as he did for me. Over the years I have told so many people about Jim and shared examples of his business acumen and amazing management style. Although he paved the way for me to work with world renowned international architects and engineers, believe me when I say that Jim McGranahan truly is "The Gentleman of Architecure". For the one he always called "Red", he will always be "Jimmy R. McG", a man I adored and will miss forever.##imported-begin##Kathy Gray##imported-end##