THOMAS P. ‘TOM’ PAPANDREW / 1943-2008
Architect left career to aid church
Thomas P. "Tom" Papandrew traveled in more than 30 countries as an architect and planner with Belt Collins & Associates.
In recent years his travels as an internationally known relief planning consultant took him to areas in South Asia devastated by the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami and to the Gulf states stricken by Hurricane Katrina. He was chairman of a national committee to plan recovery from the 2005 hurricane.
The past two years took him to 66 parishes throughout the state as the Hawaii Catholic diocese's first planning director helping shape a strategic plan for building maintenance, construction and social and spiritual programs.
"He left a lucrative and successful career in his profession to lend his skills and talents to help the church move into the modern age," said the Rev. Marc Alexander, diocesan vicar general.
Papandrew, 65, died Friday in the Queen's Medical Center.
He retired from Belt Collins & Associates Hawaii after 33 years, serving as president or chairman of the board during the last 15 years.
"We won awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects and other organizations and he was responsible for many of them," said Jim Bell, a former Belt Collins president and chairman.
He said Papandrew's projects ranged from a luxury hotel in Jerusalem to planning a never-implemented Young Street bikeway for the previous city administration.
Willa Papandrew and their children remember traveling abroad as they combined his business with a family adventure.
Papandrew was born in Erie, Pa., and graduated from Arizona State University. He was former urban planning instructor at the University of Hawaii and former president of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Besides his wife Willa, he is survived by son David, daughter Tara, sisters Patricia Yee and Constance Reale, brother David and two grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Pius X Church in Manoa. Friends may call after 9 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii, Capital Campaign.