Edward Anders Sovik, age 95, of Northfield, May 4, 2014. Born of Lutheran missionaries in Henan Province, China, he left at 17 to enroll in St. Olaf College along with a twin brother and an older sister, graduating in 1939. He went on to study painting at the Art Students League in New York, and later theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. 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 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. 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. In 1946, he married Genevieve Hendrickson, who died in 2000. In 2001 he married Anne Running. Survived by his wife Anne, sons Rolf (Mary Gail), Martin, Peter (Lauren); stepchildren Julia and Andrew Tabbut; granddaughters Amanda Sovik-Johnston (Robert), Katherine Schultz (Aaron); three great-grandsons; brother Arne (Ellen), sister Margaret Lindell; and his nieces and nephews. The family extends heartfelt thanks to the devoted staff at the Northfield Hospital Long Term Care Center for their professional and loving care. A memorial service was held Saturday, May 10 at 2:00 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 500 3rd St. W., Northfield.
