Donald Anthony Jasinski, 81, of Waterville Valley, passed peacefully at his home on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. Mr. Jasinski was born April 24, 1929 in Chicopee, Mass., the son of Mitchell A. and Sophia Marie (Jegelewicz) Jasinski. As a child he, along with his brothers Mitchell and Edwin, performed as the multi-talented Mitchell Brothers, singing and tap dancing their way across the northeast United States. He graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture. He did his graduate work at the University of Florence in Italy, graduating in 1953. Mr. Jasinski was an international architect and was founder of Jasinski Architects, International. He was a teacher and lecturer at the Rhode Island School of Design and University of New Hampshire. He lectured at RISD-Brown Lecture Series "Architecture for the Human Animal" at the University of NH. Mr. Jasinski was a communicant of St. Matthew's Church, Plymouth, N.H. He was a member of the Planning Board for the Town of Waterville Valley since 1989 serving as chairman from 2000 to the present. He served as Town Moderator from 1994 through 2006. He was the Code Enforcement Officer for the Town of Waterville Valley since 1994. He was also designated "New Hampshire Volunteer of the Year" and the "Outstanding Municipal Volunteer" for the year 2000 by the National Municipal Association. Mr. Jasinski was a member of the American Institute of Architecture, a member of the American Underground Space Association and a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Mr. Jasinski was a prolific architect. Some of his designs include the Sheraton Wayfarer Convention Center, Bedford, NH, the Sheraton Towers, South Portland, Maine, Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Portsmouth, N.H. and residences throughout the United States, Europe, and Mexico. His architectural passion was his concept of earth sheltered structures and design for the human animal. He designed a number of earth sheltered projects in N.H., Maine and Mass., including his own home in Waterville Valley which he called Zakopane. His earth sheltered designed home was recently featured in the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, and WMUR's "New Hampshire Chronicle". He also published many articles in several newspapers, professional journals and magazines, including TIME and House Beautiful. His architectural portfolio and philosophy can be viewed online at www.JasinskiAI.com. Mr. Jasinski also had a passion for pyrotechnics, and was a New Hampshire licensed pyrotechnician. He designed and produced numerous holiday fireworks shows. Most recently, he was able to light the first round of the annual New Years fireworks at midnight January 1, 2011 surrounded by many of his friends at the Bull Hill gazebo in Waterville Valley. Survivors include his partner and spouse of 29 years, Berlin C. Larsen, of Waterville Valley; his sister-in-law Joan (France) Jasinski; his nephew, Ralph M. Jasinski; his niece, Francine (Jasinski) Hayward and her husband Ned, his two grandnieces, Sophia and Teresa Hayward, his sister Jean (Jamroz) Healey, all of Chicopee and Springfield MA, cousins David and Fred Moran, Mark and John Kana and their families, as well as close friend and household member John Irish. In addition to his parents, Mr. Jasinski was predeceased by his siblings, Mitchell and Edwin Jasinski, and Jane and Adele Jamroz. There will be no calling hours. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 11:00 AM at St. Matthew's, 11 School St., in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Spring burial will be at the Waterville Valley Cemetery, Waterville Valley, NH on May 7, 2011 at 2:00 PM. For those who wish, the family suggests that memorial donations be made to Pemi Baker Home Hospice, 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH, 03264. Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N. H. is assisting the family. For more information and to view an online memorial go www.wilkinsonbeane.com.
Published in The Republican on January 12, 2011