William Wing Louie

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William Wing Louie

January 18, 1923 ~ April 21, 2021

Award-winning Utah architect and WWII veteran William Wing Louie, 98, passed away on April 21, 2021 with his family surrounding him.

Born on January 18, 1923, in Ogden, Utah to Wing Louie and May Szto Shee, Louie grew up with five brothers and four sisters. After high school, he worked at Hill Air Force Base before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He was stationed in England, France and Germany. He served in the celebrated 354th “Pioneer Mustang” Fighter Group, where he was an instrument mechanic for P-51 Mustangs and used his artistic talent to paint plane nose art and the leather jackets of pilots. During the war, while he was painting a mural in the mess hall, someone told him he should go into architecture.

After the war, he took that suggestion and enrolled in the University of Utah. In 1952, he was one of seven members of the first graduating class of the School of Architecture. After graduation, he worked in the offices of Scott and Beecher and was later offered a partnership at the firm. Over the next 40 years, the firm was renamed Scott, Louie, and Browning Architects and Engineers, and Louie was principal in charge and design architect.  

Louie, who converted to Catholicism after meeting his wife Merrie, designed five churches in the Diocese of Salt Lake City, including St. Ann Catholic Church, his home parish and the first in Utah to be designed according to the directives of the Second Vatican Council. He also designed St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, St. Vincent de Paul School and Convent and St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. In addition, he designed the Immaculate Conception Church in Green River, Wyoming along with schools, libraries and business and public buildings across the Wasatch Front. One of his award-winning projects was for the Utah State Retirement Board Office building in 1979.

After his retirement, Louie began to paint, eventually making Christmas cards from some of his paintings. Among his subjects were people entering St. Ann Catholic Church for midnight Mass, the Christmas star over Delicate Arch, and the Holy Family under the viaduct at 600 South in Salt Lake City.

On April 3, 2021 Louie, who designed the Chinese Garden at the International Peace Gardens, SLC, was awarded the Chinese-American World War II Veteran Congressional Gold Medal. Other awards included The AIA Lifetime Achievement Award and the University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Louie is survived by his sons Gordon (Sharon) and Kenneth (Janet); his daughters Maria (Jim Kier), Cindi (Dan) Kaschmitter, Lisa (Paul Cisneros), Teresa (Richard) Leigh and Melanie Louie; his grandchildren Kelli (Tracy) and William R. (Anna) Louie, Alex (Nancy) and Niki Kaschmitter, William Cisneros, Taylor and Christopher Leigh, and Anna, Andrew (Sheena) and Michael Castillo; and his great-grandchildren Peter and Jasmine Castillo, Jack Louie, Grace Castillo, Stella Kaschmitter and Madeleine Louie; along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Merrie; his parents; his brothers Harry, Robert, Mack, Edward, and Grant; and his sisters May Jensen, Bessie Louie, Jean Louie and Mary Kloer.

A funeral Mass for Louie was celebrated privately in one of the churches he designed. He was laid to rest with his wife, Merrie, at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. Donations may be made in his memory to St. Ann Church, 2119 South 400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84115.