Remembering Thomas M. Payette FAIA
Thomas M. Payette, FAIA, the renowned Cambridge, MA architect, and founder of Payette Associates, passed away on November 12, 2022, at the age of 90. Tom was born in 1932 to Robert and Mary Kay (Martin) Payette. Tom was an amazing man, a devoted husband of 68 years to Ginny, and a wonderful father. His loves were his family, architecture, and gardening. He was guided by a strong work ethic, a selfless leadership style and always preached family first. He had a generosity, humility and boundless energy that will always be remembered.
In 1960, when Tom graduated from architectural school, he began working at Markus and Nocka. By 1965, he became president of the firm. It would later become Payette, an international design firm of over 150 people. His lifelong work and passion guided the firm into what it is today, an award-winning firm, where he mentored many young architects over his 50-year tenure. Payette is known for its leading design in hospitals, laboratories, and university design throughout the United States and internationally. Included in its notable design work is the Aga Khan Medical Center in Karachi, Pakistan (started in the early 1970's and continuing today). In 2019, Payette won the prestigious AIA Architecture Firm Award.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Thomas Payette Financial Aid Fund at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. (Include "T. Payette Fund" in the memo line.)
Read Tom's full obituary at Thomas M. Payette.