Houston Roark

Houston Price Roark, age 83, of Little Rock, died September 23, 2007. He was born in Little Rock June 20, 1924. He was preceded in death by his parents Granville Wade and Evadna Price Roark, and his first wife, Ella Schueler Roark. He is survived by his loving wife of 31 years, Jane Porter Roark. Other survivors are Anne Roark, Sally Roark Bowen (Mike) of Little Rock, Susan Porter-Levy (Ray) of McKinney, Texas, Cynthia Porter Rickert (Vaughn) of Nanuet, New York, Michael Porter (Tamara) of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Catherine Porter Rayburn of Little Rock. Beloved grandchildren are Benjamin Price Bowen and Katie Bowen, Rachel Levy, Jeff, Ryan and Mason Rickert, Channing, Mallory and Ethan Porter, Lucas Rayburn and special friend, Jonathan.
Price grew up in Little Rock and was graduated from Little Rock High School. He attended the University of Arkansas where he was a freshman engineer and a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He joined the U.S. Army reserves in 1943 and served in the European Theater of Operations in the infantry. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star medals for volunteering to run through enemy lines and bring back reinforcements to his unit. He was one of ten out of 200 in his operation that did not suffer casualties. He returned to the University of Arkansas in 1946-1947 and was a member of the first class of the school of Architecture. He later transferred to Washington University in St. Louis and graduated with honors in architectural engineering in 1949. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi Honorary Society and Pi Mu Epsilon Honorary Math Society. He was employed by Earhart, Eichenbaum and Raugh as a structural engineer from 1949-51 and then was recalled to the Army and served during the Korean conflict. He finished his duty in 1953 and returned to Washington University where he earned a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering with honors in 1953. He then returned to Earhart, Eichenbaum and Raugh as an engineer. In 1962 he started his own firm, Cowling and Roark and in 1966, started another new firm, H. Price Roark Architect and Engineer, which later became known as Roark, Perkins and Kennedy, and today is known as Roark Perkins Perry & Yelvington.
Price performed structural engineering for other architectural firms including Wittenberg, Deloney and Davidson. He designed several innovative engineering buildings, such as the welded steel structure Pfeifer's Annex, UAMS Education Building built with foundation and first floor planned for future nine-story building, and the first building in Arkansas using lightweight structural concrete. Other engineering projects include the ten story lift slab science building at the University of Arkansas, and the addition to the Majestic Hotel in Hot Springs. His firm designed many Safeway stores, Magic Mart stores, shopping centers, industrial buildings, schools, office buildings and medical facilities. Their claim to fame is churches. They have designed more than 75 different churches, including 42 Methodist churches, which includes St. James United Methodist Church, of which he was a member.
Price was also very civic minded. He was a member of the Methodist Wesley Foundation, the Methodist Children's Home Board, and Camp Aldersgate Board, where he received the Circle of Honor Award in 1986. He joined the Rotary Club of Little Rock in 1981 and remained a member for 26 years, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow.
Price and Ella were charter members of Trinity United Methodist Church. He and Jane joined St. James when they married. He served as a member of St. James' Administrative Board, the Finance Committee, the Building and Grounds Committee and Chairman of the Pastor Parish Committee. He also served on the AIA Board for 8 years. He was President of the Arkansas Chapter in 1971 and received the AGC Award and the Fay Jones Gold Medal of Honor in 2001.
Price and Jane loved to travel and have been many places around the world. Price enjoyed spending time with his family and loved to sail. He embraced life with enthusiasm, appreciated fine food, enjoyable company, and quality scotch. Many people knew him to be a fair and honest man, a principled fellow, who was revered by those who respected him and disappointed by those who gave him less than the best. Friends found him to be generous with his time and talents. He will be missed by many.
There will be a celebration of Price's life with a memorial service at 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, September 29, 2007 at St. James United Methodist Church, with a reception following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Aldersgate, St. James United Methodist Church building fund, the School of Architecture at Fayetteville, or the charity of your choice.
Arrangements are by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct., Little Rock, (501)224-2200.