*Edward Anders Sovik, of Northfield, Minn., died May 4, 2014. He was 95. Born of Lutheran missionaries in Henan Province, China, he left at 17 to enroll in St. Olaf College, along with a twin brother, Arne Sovik ’39, and an older sister, Gudrun “Margaret” Sovik Lindell ’39, graduating in 1939. He went on to study painting at the Art Students League in New York, and later theology at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minn. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving as a night fighter pilot in the Pacific; he was awarded a Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1946, he married Genevieve Hendrickson Sovik ’44, who died in 2000. In 1949, he earned his architecture degree from Yale University, and began an architectural practice in Northfield and a teaching career in the St. Olaf art department. While churches were a focus of his practice, his work ranged widely, including many buildings for St. Olaf, Carleton, Concordia-Moorhead, and Stevens Colleges, the University of Minnesota, and other institutional projects. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a president of the Minnesota Society of the AIA, and a recipient of its Gold Medal. His book, Architecture for Worship, was published in 1973, and he wrote numerous professional articles and monographs. In 2001, he married Anne Running ’68. He was a man of many interests and talents, including drawing and poetry, and will be further remembered for his good will, eloquence, and quiet generosity.

He is survived by his wife, Anne; sons Rolf Sovik ’69 and wife Mary, Martin Sovik ’71, and Peter Sovik; stepchildren, Julia and Andrew Tabbut; granddaughters, Amanda Sovik-Johnston and Katherine Schultz; three great-grandsons; brother, Arne and wife Ellen; sister, Margaret; and his nieces and nephews, including Ann Brandenberg-Sovik ’72, Nathan Sovik ’75, Nord Sovik, and Liv Sovik. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Genevieve; his father, Edward Sovik ’11; his brother-in-law, Paul Lindell; and his sister-in-law, Ruth Sovik ’50. The family extends heartfelt thanks to the devoted staff at the Northfield Hospital Long Term Care Center for their professional and loving care.

Memorials preferred to St. John’s Lutheran Church, St. Olaf College, Luther Seminary, Concordia College, or Habitat for Humanity.