Byron Foster Romanowitz
November 14, 1929 - November 28, 2022
Lexington , Kentucky - Byron Foster Romanowitz died on November 28, 2022. He was preceded in death by his wife of over 48 years, Millie Gize Romanowitz, his father Dr. H. Alex Romanowitz, PhD, his mother Mildred Foster Romanowitz, of Lexington/Covington, and his sister Lois R. White of Livonia, MI. Mr. Romanowitz is survived by the second love of his life, Doris Pippin Benson; three children, Laura R. Paré (Jeff) of Grass Valley, CA, Mark W. Romanowitz (Nancy) of Aurora, IL, Cynthia E. Frederich (David) of Lexington, KY; eight grandsons, Ben, Sam and David Paré, Josiah, Caleb, Daniel, Andy and Nathan Romanowitz; and four great-grandchildren, Leah, Levi, Lukas, and Louisa.
A 1951 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, Mr. Romanowitz received his Master of Fine Arts from the Princeton University School of Architecture in 1953. He was the retired President/CEO of Johnson Romanowitz Architects and Planners located in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky. While president of his firm, Mr. Romanowitz served as architectural designer for most of his firm's over 1,200 projects throughout Kentucky, including campus master plans, hundreds of college/university projects on sixteen campuses, major hotels, apartment buildings, hospital buildings, banks, public and private schools, and airport projects. Notable designs which transformed the landscape of both downtown Lexington and the University of Kentucky include the former Bank of Lexington Building on Vine Street, the Lexington Financial Center, Singletary Center for the Arts, Patterson Office Tower, aspects of the Kincaid Towers project, and the Radisson Hotel-Vine Center.
Mr. Romanowitz was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, was Past President of the Kentucky AIA, served on the Kentucky Board of Registration and Examiners of Architects, the Lexington Kiwanis Club, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, Lexington Urban Renewal Commission, Lexington City-County Planning Commission Advisory Committee, among his many contributions to his profession and the community. He also taught Design in the Princeton University School of Architecture and the University of Kentucky School of Design.
Many will also remember Mr. Romanowitz as a professional jazz musician, playing professionally from the age of 14. He was the jazz tenor saxophone soloist of the Men of Note Orchestra. His jazz combo, Jazzberry Jam, performed regularly at the Coach House in Lexington Kentucky, as well as at many public and private venues all over Kentucky and beyond. He is the author of two books: "Issues & Images: Fifty Years as a Kentucky Architect" and "Jazz in Lexington: a Personal View. The Byron F. Romanowitz Archive was established by the University of Kentucky Library to preserve his collection of original documents, photos, and recordings from his long careers as both a Kentucky architect and jazz musician.
He was also a retired Lieutenant Commander in the Civil Engineering Corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve, member of Crestwood Christian Church, The Lexington Club, Investment Associates, and the Lexington Rotary Club. Services will be held at Milward Funeral Directors located at 1509 Trent Boulevard, Lexington on Saturday, December 3 at 12:00 noon. Visitation will be held preceding the service from 10:00-12:00. In lieu of flowers, please send all contributions to the Central Kentucky Salvation Army, Lexington, Kentucky.