It comes with mixed blessings the announcement of my long
time associate, friend, and amazing architect Jeff Kramer, who has announced that
he’ll be
taking some
sabbatical time from Candelaria Design
and the architectural profession to spend time with his family and
then will move on to follow some new
pursuits and interests. After nearly 15 years with Candelaria Design and
almost 30 years in the architectural p
rofession
it will be interesting to see where life takes him!
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Jeff Kramer, Nancy Singer & John Schultz |
Any of you who have had the privilege and honor of working
with him or have had him as your Project Architect can understand my mixed
blessings. On the one hand, I am so happy for him to have the opportunity to
take the time to walk away and spend time with his family, reassess his goals
and dreams, and venture onto a new path in life. On the other hand he will be a
tremendous loss to Candelaria Design and our profession. I will miss him and all the challenging
projects that we conquered, the laughs we have shared, and all of the many amazing
good times we shared together.
Jeff was one of my first employees when I started Candelaria
Design coming on virtually from the beginning. I received a call one day from
Interior Designer, Sandra Evans, with whom I had just finished a project. She
wanted to know if I was looking for anyone and that she had an associate from Knoell
& Quidort Architects who was looking for a new direction. I said sure have
him call me, which he did, we spoke and met and I was struck by his mild
manner, his thoroughness in thought, and of course his portfolio of work. We
struck a deal and he was on board.
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Barnhart Residence - Silverleaf - Nance Construction |
One of the first projects we worked on was the Barnhart
Residence in Silverleaf. This was the first house ever constructed there. We
were the guinea pigs for the whole process and Jeff guided us through with his
thoroughness and steady push forward and our first project together was on its
way. Still one of my favorites, the Barnhart Residence has been used for
Silverleaf ads and promotional material for years. If any of you know Jeff, he is a tall guy! I
remember when Mrs. Barnhart, upon meeting Jeff for the first time, expressed a
reluctance to want to work with him. I assured her that by the end of the job
you would want no one else. Of course now, Mrs. Barnhart has virtually adopted
Jeff into their family! And that’s how every project went down!
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Team Schochor |
What I love about Jeff is his integrity, his steady pace,
his incredible attention to detail, his friendliness and kindness, and his
uncanny ability to truly under-promise and over deliver. He is the best! His
drawings are the best in town and his mentoring to all of us will be missed.
Always one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave, Jeff’s work
ethic and dependability is unmatched. He always knew how to cool my jets when I
would get a hot idea! He would raise those eyebrows and give me some words that
would slow me down! But I have to say, I know Jeff enjoyed the ride we took
together. It wasn’t always smooth but it has definitely been an adventure!
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El Chorro Design & Construction Team - Desert Star Construction |
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O'Rahilly Residence - Silverleaf - Schultz Development |
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Peery Residence - Paradise Valley - Western Plains |
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Singer Residence - Paradise Valley - Schultz Development |
We have worked on some amazing projects together. Probably,
most notable is the El Chorro Restaurant and Bar. Jeff guided this through all
the approval processes and through a tight construction schedule. Its already a
true Arizona classic. Other great projects include the Hanley Residence in
Paradise Valley which received a Gold Nugget Award from the Pacific Coast
Builders Council for the best home in the country over 6500 sf. We worked
together on the Peery Residence in Paradise Valley, for my good friend, Larry
Peery. We just completed the Singer Residence in Paradise Valley which will
definitely be one of our premiere projects. We worked with Schultz Development
on several spec homes and customs in Silverleaf and we are just completing Construction
Documents for a gorgeous home on the Paradise Valley Country Club and a home in
Montecito, California just outside of Santa Barbara. Jeff's body of work at Candelaria Design adorns all of our books, ads and walls! But most importantly, Jeff's wit, charm, and kindness adorns all of our hearts.
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Team Hanley |
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Mark Candelaria, Jeff Kramer and Jerry Meek |
Jeff will wind his last two projects up over the next few
months and then will step out and onto a new path in life. What an absolute pleasure and blessing it has been to share a good portion of my professional life with a man who inspires me to not only be a better architect each day, but a better man. Jeff has a wonderful family, his wife Carmelle is a gem, and two amazing children, Jason who is attending ASU and his daughter, Rachel, who was just awarded a full scholarship for volleyball at the University of Florida. Who would not want Jeff Kramer to be their father or husband - he is the best. I am happy to call him a damn good friend! I have no doubts he
will continue to inspire excellence in whatever path he chooses and the doors
at Candelaria Design will always be open to him!
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Carmelle and Jeffrey Kramer |