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Menu Home Upfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon TAYLOR, Donald Michael (Mike) Born: 1931 Died: 2025 Architect DipArch (Kwa-Zulu Natal; BA (Kwa-Zulu Natal); MArch (Kwa-Zulu Natal); RIBA In 1977 he was Vice-President of NIA. Obituary: KZNIA has lost a senior member, Donald Michael Taylor, who was known to all as Mike. Born and raised in Durban, as a student Mike began working with Clement Fridjhon, a pioneer of modern architecture in KZN. On graduating in 1954, and earning a B.A. degree as well, in 1967 Mike accepted a partnership in the practice then styled Fridjhon & Fulford. What Mike could not have known at the time is that he would become the senior partner until retirement in 1997, 30 years later. During these years the practice enjoyed working with corporate clients and undertook hospital and municipal work. Having often been called upon as an expert witness, in retirement Mike earned a reputation as an arbitrator. To Mike, on the architecture side of the coin, he earned an M.Arch degree in 1974; served as the KwaZulu-Natal Institute's President, 1980-82, and simultaneously as President of the SA Council for Architects, which deservedly saw KZNIA honour him with a sculpture and scroll of honour in 1985. Yet Mike's coin was many sided. Besides our profession he served on the Town & Regional Planning Commission and later as a board member of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. There was community service, as a life-long Rotarian, chairman of Durban Club, Durban Country Club, and Wildlife and Environment Society of SA. But he still found time for travel and for sport, being accomplished in sailing, tennis and especially squash. Despite all these achievements, Mike was an unassuming colleague who valued his privacy. As such, the Institute has only recently learnt of his death on 3rd February 2025, aged 93. We value his leadership, honour his memory, and share in the loss with his family and especially his widow, Chantal. Walter Peters (KZNIA newsletter submitted by William Martinson)