Maria Fisz Prus passed away in her 98th year in Montreal on July聽28, 2017. She was predeceased earlier this year by her spouse of 68聽years, the architect Victor聽Prus, and leaves to mourn extended family and friends.
Maria was born in Poland. Her studies in architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology were interrupted by the Second World War. As a member of the Home Army, she participated in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. After the war, she completed her studies in Belgium and London and worked in the Architects鈥� Department of the London County Council. Maria and Victor married in England and immigrated to Canada in 1952.
As a gifted architect and landscape architect, Maria was her husband鈥檚 partner in many diverse projects after he founded his own firm in 1954. Her signature style was part of significant commissions, including the Palais des Congr猫s (Montreal), the Grand Th茅芒tre de Qu茅bec, Grantley Adams International Airport (Barbados), Brudenell River Resort (P.E.I.), Rockland Shopping Centre (Montreal), and several branches of Classic Books, as well as private homes.
Maria was named an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1977, the first woman named to this prestigious title practising outside the United States and not an American citizen. She was named alongside her husband, the first couple to be so named.
Maria delighted in the natural world, in particular her dogs and cats, bird watching, gardening and being in and around water. She was always interested in others and the activities of our world, and memories of her kindness and hospitality will remain with us.
A celebration of Maria鈥檚 life will be held at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, 16 Pacific Avenue, Senneville, QC, on Sat. August聽26 at 11聽a.m., with burial and reception to follow.
The family wishes to thank the staff of H么pital Sainte-Anne, CLSC, and Health Access for their care.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Montreal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) would be appreciated.
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Maria Fisz Prus est d茅c茅d茅e le 28 juillet 2017 脿 l鈥櫭e de 97 ans. Son 茅poux pendant 68 ans, l鈥檃rchitecte Victor聽Prus, est d茅c茅d茅 plus t么t cette ann茅e. Elle laisse dans le deuil plusieurs parents et amis.
N茅e en Pologne, Maria Fisz a 茅tudi茅 l鈥檃rchitecture 脿 l鈥櫭塩ole de technologie de l鈥橴niversit茅 de Varsovie mais ses 茅tudes furent interrompues par la Deuxi猫me Guerre mondiale. Membre de la r茅sistance polonaise, elle a particip茅 脿 l鈥檌nsurrection de Varsovie en 1944. Apr猫s la guerre, elle a termin茅 ses 茅tudes en Belgique et 脿 Londres, o霉 elle a travaill茅 au d茅partement d鈥橝rchitecture du London County Council. Maria et Victor se sont mari茅s en Angleterre et ont 茅migr茅 au Canada en 1952.
Architecte et architecte paysag猫re dou茅e, Maria a 茅t茅 la partenaire de son mari pour de nombreux projets d猫s qu鈥檌l a fond茅 sa propre firme en 1954. Avec son style unique, elle a collabor茅 脿 de nombreux mandats d鈥檃rchitecture, notamment ceux du Palais des Congr猫s (Montr茅al), du Grand Th茅芒tre de Qu茅bec, du Grantley Adams International Airport (Barbade), du Brudenell River Resort (I.P.脡.), du centre commercial Rockland (Montr茅al) ainsi qu鈥櫭� plusieurs succursales de la cha卯ne Classic Books et r茅sidences priv茅es.
En 1977, Maria est nomm茅e membre honoraire de l鈥橝merican Institute of Architects, la premi猫re femme 脿 l鈥檈xt茅rieur des 脡tats-Unis et non citoyenne am茅ricaine 脿 recevoir cet honneur. Et ce en compagnie de son mari, tous deux devenant le premier couple 脿 锚tre accueilli au sein de l鈥檌nstitut.
Maria adorait le monde animal, notamment ses chiens et ses chats, pratiquait l鈥檕rnithologie et le jardinage et aimait 锚tre pr猫s de l鈥檈au. Elle s鈥檌nt茅ressait constamment aux gens et 脿 ce qui se passait dans le monde. Tous garderont un souvenir 茅mu de sa gentillesse et de son hospitalit茅.
Une c茅l茅bration de la vie de Maria aura lieu 脿 l鈥櫭ゞlise catholique romaine Corpus Christi, 16 avenue Pacific, Senneville, QC, le samedi 26 ao没t 脿 11 h; sera suivie de la mise en terre et d鈥檜ne r茅ception.
La famille de Maria tient 脿 remercier le personnel de l鈥橦么pital Sainte-Anne, du CLSC et d鈥橝cc猫s Sant茅 pour la qualit茅 des soins. Au lieu de fleurs, pri猫re de faire un don 脿 la Soci茅t茅 pour la pr茅vention de la cruaut茅 envers les animaux (SPCA), 脿 Montr茅al.
