Ferdinand Herbert Marani
Section 29, Lot 195
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia on August 8, 1893, Marani was educated at Ridley College in St. Catharines and at the University of Toronto. As a young man he went overseas during the First World War and served with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Returning to Toronto after hostilities ended, Marani embarked on what was to be an illustrious architectural career. Working by himself at first, Marani’s first commissions were almost entirely residential. In 1924, he took in his first partner, thus starting a series of name changes by which the company has been known and recognised world-wide ever since — Marani and Paisley (1924-1925), Marani, Lawson and Paisley (1926-1928), Marani and Lawson (1929), Marani, Lawson and Morris (1930-1940), Marani and Morris (1941-1958), Marani, Morris and Alan (1959-1964), and Marani, Rounthwaite and Dick (1964-1980).
Since 1981 the company has operated under the name Rounthwaite, Dick and Hadley (the law requires that names of deceased partners be removed from the corporate title). Some of Marani’s most notable Toronto works include the Medical Arts Building on Bloor Street West (1928-1929), St. Joseph’s Hospital in The Queensway (1936), the IOOF Building (later Metropolitan Toronto Police headquarters) (1951), Manufacturers Life Assurance addition (1953), the Crown Life (1956) and Confederation Life (1954-1956) Buildings (the last three on Bloor Street East), the Bank of Canada Building (1955), the Maclean Hunter Building addition (1961), and the new Courthouse (1964-1966), the latter three on University Avenue.
During the Second World War, Marani enlisted in the RCAF rising to the rank of Group Captain. At the end of the war, he sat on a number of planning and housing committees. Marani was also appointed a trustee of Toronto Trust Cemeteries (now Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries), a position he held until his death on July 18, 1971.
Mike Filey
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide
Second Edition Revised and Expanded