Francis was a true gentleman with superb talent and I was fortunate to have numerous conversations with him over the years while working at MIA from 1986 to 2000. I also knew his wife Alyce at MIA and I extend my sincere condolences to her and the family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obituary from the Miami Herald on December 12, 2005:

TELESCA, FRANCIS

A well known and respected Miami Architect passed away December 8, 2005 at 84 years of age. Beloved husband of wife Alyce, loving father of Elizabeth Celeste Sullivan, Anthony Telesca, Francis Telesca, Tina Rickman, along with many grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren & three sisters.

A Miami resident for over 50 years practicing Architecture with his firm Greenleaf Telesca, he was the award winning architect for Florida International University's Master Plan, the first FIU campus structure Primera Casa, and Miami International Airport Building 3095, American Airlines Hanger built for National Airlines as well as many Dade County schools and public works projects.

He joined the Miami Dade Aviation Department in 1986 where he participated in the design and development of Miami International Airport until his retirement in 2002. Francis will be remembered and missed by all who knew him. He will always live in our hearts for his strength, courage, wisdom and humanity. Details of the "Celebration of Life" on Fri., Dec. 16; Please call (239) 565-0293. To visit this Guest Book Online, go to http://www.herald.com/obituaries

Published in The Miami Herald from 12/12/2005 - 12/14/2005.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article in The Miami Herald on December 18, 2005

FRANCIS TELESCA
Architect `was a mentor to a lot of people'
By Gladys Amador, gamador@herald.com

Francis Telesca, an award-winning architect who designed airport hangars and university buildings, died in his sleep Dec. 8 at his Doral home. He was 84. Telesca was in private practice for many years, but in 1986 he joined the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, where he designed projects at Miami International Airport until he retired in 2003.

''He was a mentor to a lot of people,'' said Sunil Harman, who worked with Telesca in the aviation department. ``He was great at engaging people, was charismatic and was a good person to learn from. He had a vast amount of knowledge.''

Born in Dunmore, Pa., in 1921, Telesca worked as a paper boy as a child and was a champion wrestler in high school. He went on to attend Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a bachelor of architecture degree in 1953, graduating first in his class. He later passed the architect's licensing test on the first try, his family said.

''He was a brilliant architect,'' said Harman, who worked with Telesca for nine years. ``He had a good grasp of making projects that were fairly complicated and turning them into simple programs that worked.''

One of his biggest projects was designing MIA Building 3095, now known as the American Airlines hangar. It was originally built for now-defunct National Airlines.

A Miami resident for more than 50 years, Telesca was the architect on many Miami-Dade schools, public works projects and mausoleums. In 1962, he opened Greenleaf/Telesca Planners, Engineers, Architects Inc.

He worked on several projects at Florida International University, including developing its master plan and designing some of its most popular buildings, such as Primera Casa and the gymnasium, now known as Pharmed Arena.

Anthony Telesca said his father remained humble even with all his accomplishments.

''He was the most understanding, wonderful man I have known -- ever,'' he said. ``He was a strong but quiet man, slow to speak, but everyone would listen attentively.''

Telesca also taught at the University of Miami as an adjunct professor in the School of Architecture. He gave free tutoring to those that needed extra help.

''He was always there to listen and give advice,'' his wife, Alyce, said. The two married in 1993 after meeting at MIA while she worked in the construction field.

In addition to his wife and son, Telesca, a military veteran, is survived by daughters Elizabeth Celeste Sullivan and Tina Rickman and another son, Francis. A private memorial service was held Friday.