Julia Scott Maser
April 8, 1934-May 3, 2012
Palo Alto, California

Julia Scott Maser, a prominent architect affiliated for many years with Hoover Associates Architects of Palo Alto, died peacefully in her sleep on May 3 after a nearly two-year battle with lung cancer.

Julie was raised in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., a suburb of New York City. She attended the Hastings public schools, and in her final year was president of the student body. Following in the footsteps of both her parents, she entered the College of Architecture at Cornell University, graduating in 1956. Upon her graduation, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to study in Paris, France. On her return, Julie was employed by Walter Gropius' noted firm, The Architects Collaborative firm, in Boston.

In 1959, she married Dr. Morton Richard ("Dick") Maser. The Masers then moved to Wiesbaden, Germany, where Dr. Maser was serving as a physician at the U.S. Air Force Hospital. Julie worked for a German architectural firm in Wiesbaden. On the Masers' return to New York, she worked successively for the architecture firms of Perkins & Will in White Plains, N.Y., and Moore & Hutchins in New York City.

Julie and Dick moved to Palo Alto in 1966, when he joined the staff at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic as a plastic surgeon. Soon thereafter, Julie joined Hoover Associates Architects, and was a designer at that firm until shortly before her death. Among her many design projects are several buildings at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, the Packard Foundation Building in Los Altos, the Pomona College Administration Building, and restoration of the Stanford Theater on University Avenue in Palo Alto. She also served for some years as a member and chair of the City of Palo Alto Architectural Review Board, and on a similar board at the Chinquapin condominium community at Lake Tahoe.

Beyond her love for her family and architecture, Mrs. Maser relished traveling with her husband, always curious to learn something new or see an interesting structure. She indulged her family and her many friends with her generosity and hospitality, and loved to share one of her delicious gourmet meals, some homemade jam, exquisitely wrapped gifts and good conversation.

Julie is survived by her husband, Dick; her brother, Michael Scott of Herndon, Virginia; and three sons ? Scott of Cupertino, Ben of Palo Alto, and Mike of San Francisco. She had two daughters-in-law, Carrie and Diep, and four grandchildren ? Maggie, Ian, Katie and Eric.

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