Clyde Reynolds Carpenter, noted architect, friend, teacher, mentor, community volunteer, and former elder of First Presbyterian Church, passed away July 1, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky. An extraordinary man who led a life full of personal growth and continued service to the community and to his neighbors, Mr. Carpenter was 84 at the time of his death. He was born on December 26, 1937, to the late Dauris Clyde "Bus" Carpenter and Sara Reynolds Carpenter. His stories of life in Lexington and his career as an architect and professor were familiar to his many friends and are recorded in the collection of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky.
When Clyde was eight years old, he received a book on Frank Lloyd Wright as a Christmas present, which ignited an interest in architecture and set him on his career path. After graduation from Lafayette High School, he received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree (Architectural Engineering Option) from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Architecture degree with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. While a student at Penn he was awarded the Schenck-Woodman Traveling Fellowship in Architecture for advanced study in Europe. After completion of his traveling fellowship, he joined the faculty in architecture at the University of Kentucky. Shortly thereafter he became Assistant to the Dean of the College of Architecture and Director of Academic Programs. He was subsequently appointed as an Associate Dean of the College of Architecture, a position he held until 2003, and was acting Dean for two- and one-half years in 1991-1993.
During his tenure as Acting Dean a graduate program in Historic Preservation was approved, and in 2003 he was appointed Chair of the Department of Historic Preservation and Clay Lancaster Endowed Professor in Historic Preservation in the newly formed College of Design. He served as Chair from 2003-2010, as well as continuing to teach in the School of Architecture. He retired in May 2020 after teaching for 57 years.
In addition to his academic career, Mr. Carpenter was a registered architect with clients throughout central Kentucky and beyond, with work involving historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects as well as new construction on many residences. His designs have been featured in several magazines and books, including articles in Architectural Digest featuring his own renovated Gratz Park carriage house, which has also appeared on HGTV. He was particularly proud of a house he designed for his brother in Steamboat Springs, CO which involved incorporating post and beam structures from an 1830 Japanese Minka (house) into a new modern design to capture the essence of Japanese style both inside and out. Mr. Carpenter was a member of Gibson Taylor Thompson Architecture and Design as a registered architect for six years, collaborating on many of the firm's projects. He also received four honor awards for architectural design from the Kentucky Chapter of the American Institute of Architects where he became a Fellow in 1998. Mr. Carpenter was a 55-year resident of the historic Gratz Park neighborhood in downtown Lexington where he could be seen walking his dogs through the park daily. He leaves behind many loving neighbors and friends in the neighborhood.
Mr. Carpenter served as a long-time member and Chair of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government's Board of Architectural Review, the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation Advisory Board, and The Commonwealth of Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission. He received multiple awards for his work in historic preservation from the Kentucky Heritage Council/Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation, the Lexington- Fayette Historic Commission and the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, which established the annual Clyde Carpenter Award for Adaptive Reuse in his honor. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and received the Distinguished Service Award from AIA Kentucky in recognition of his contributions to the profession through architectural education. In addition, he received a distinguished service award from the AIA East Kentucky as College Dean of Design Liaison to the Organization's Executive Committee. In 2013 he was named a Henry Clay Ambassador, an award presented by then Lexington Mayor Jim Gray to honor citizens for their contributions to the community, presented for outstanding dedication to Historic Preservation through his teaching, leadership and service. In 2014, he was the recipient of the C. Julian Oberwarth Award, and in 2016, the Oberwarth Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects Kentucky, AIA Kentucky's highest honor. Mr. Carpenter's legacy is well summarized in the standards underlying the Gold Medal: "To recognize and honor an individual member who has displayed a long-standing commitment to the betterment of the profession and well-being of the architects in Kentucky and who has dedicated extraordinary time and talent to this end."
Mr. Carpenter is survived by his brother Robert M. (Bob) Carpenter and his fianc, Margo E. Tabb of Mount Pleasant, SC, and two nieces, Sara (Mark) Brown of Darien, CT and Jillian (Justin) Jones of West Barnstable, MA and grand-nephews Alex and Carson Brown and Owen and Will Jones.
A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church on August 7 at 4:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Clyde R. Carpenter are encouraged to the First Presbyterian Church of Lexington, KY (www.fpclex.org) and/or the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation (www.bluegrasstrust.org).

Services
Memorial ServiceAugust 07, 2022 (4:00 pm)
First Presbyterian Church
171 Market Street, Lexington KY