Raymond Jean Jaminet Sr

Youngstown – There will be a Mass of Christina Burial held on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 11:00 am at St. Christine Church, 3165 S. Schenley Ave., Youngstown with Father John Keehner J.C.L. officiating for Raymond Jean Jaminet, 82, of Youngstown, who passed away on March 30, 2018. 

Raymond Jean Jaminet was born August 20, 1935, in Youngstown, the son of the late Jean and Rena Jaminet. He was prominent architect and devoted member of the Mahoning Valley.

He graduated from Liberty High School in June of 1953 and was a member of the National Honor Society.  He furthered his education at Youngstown College (Youngstown State University) until 1955, when he was accepted into the School of Architecture at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from which he graduated in June 1960 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture. 

During his undergrad tenure, Raymond’s first venture into the architecture field came 1958 when he worked at the firm of Damon Worley Samuels in Youngstown, Ohio.  After graduating from Miami University, Raymond moved to Toledo, Ohio into the first of three homes he would design and build for him and his family.  There he began his architectural career with a position as draftsman and designer with Hahn and Hayes Architects from 1960 to 1961. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a new position with Barber-Normand, a renowned architectural and engineering firm, where he remained until 1963 when he returned to his roots in Youngstown, Ohio to work with Hanahan and Strollo Architects.

While at Hanahan and Strollo, Raymond was an intern architect for various buildings, including a new office building for Commercial Shearing and the Science Building and Planetarium at Youngstown State University.

Yearning to carve his own niche and put his thumbprint on the architecture profession, in July 1970 he launched his own architectural practice, Raymond J. Jaminet Architects, in the heart of Youngstown at the corner of Wick Avenue and Madison Expressway. Due to expansion, the firm relocated in 1974 to the City Centre One Building.  

Raymond also periodically worked overseas in Saudi Arabia between 1974 and 1980. Projects there included a 10-story in Jubail, a 3-story office building in Kuwait, and large shopping center with in Riyadh. 

From 1984 until 1988, Raymond secured east coast projects that included designing four country club facilities in Wallingford, Connecticut, Lake Mohawk, New Jersey, Panther Valley, New Jersey and Stuart, Florida.

In 1993, Raymond joined forces with James Olsavsky, forming Olsavsky Jaminet Architects based in Youngstown, Ohio.  With a strong sense of civic responsibility, over the next 25 years, Raymond dedicated his expertise to the development of 21st century K-12 buildings and would be responsible for over 25 school facilities across more than 15 school districts in the state of Ohio. 

You can see Raymond’s architectural work across every skyline in the valley.  Some of his most notable pieces of architecture include the IBM Building, the Commerce Building, the Historical Center of Industry and Labor (with Michael Graves), Youngstown State University’s Beeghly College of Education (with Perkins and Will), the new Youngstown Municipal Courts, St. Charles Church in Boardman, Tippecanoe Country Club, and his own office building at 29 E. Front Street in Youngstown’s downtown, which he both designed and built with his father. 

His work garnered a numerous awards and accolades over the span of his career, including the Eastern Ohio Chapter American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal, the Golden Trowel Award from the International Masonry Institute, Eastern Ohio Chapter of the AIA Award of Honor, Architects Society of Ohio Design Award, Eastern Ohio Chapter of the AIA Excellence in Architecture Honor Award, and the Eastern Ohio Chapter of the AIA Excellence in Architecture Citation Award.

While prolific in his professional career, the most important thing to him was his family.  Raymond spent many of his earliest years working alongside his father and uncle as they built homes on Youngstown’s north side.  He cherished the time spent with his parents and sister and was blessed with ten children and seven grandchildren.  On November 29th of 1972, he married Joyce Fiucci, and raised a family on Youngstown’s west side for the next 45 years.

He always took an active role in his children’s lives, whether it was serving as President of the Mill Creek Junior Baseball League or President of the Chaney Gridiron Club.  He took special pride in his home on Cherokee Drive where he spent countless hours manicuring the lawn, planting trees and flowers, and tending the vegetable garden.  Raymond was also a Lionel train enthusiast and an avid golfer.  He was privileged to attend The US Open and The Masters and golf tournaments and few things brought him more joy than spending time on the golf course at Tippecanoe Country Club with his family and friends.  He was also fortunate enough to have made three hole-in-ones.

When Raymond wasn’t with his family or working on his award-winning designs he found time to devote to his community and organizations.  He was an active member of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.  Along with his work with many local school districts, he was a board member of the Youngstown Community School and served on the Fiscal Oversight Commission of Ohio.  He was also a member of the American Institute of Architects, a board member of the Muddville Fire Company, a board member of Tippecanoe Country Club, and a member of the former Western Reserve Health Foundation (Tod Children’s Hospital).

Raymond is survived by his wife Joyce (Fiucci) Jaminet; their five sons, Jean Jaminet of Kent, Ohio; Raymond Jr. Jaminet of Youngstown, Ohio; Nick Jaminet and Phillip Jaminet of Canfield, Ohio; Charles Jaminet of Boardman, Ohio; four daughters from a previous marriage, Michelle Jaminet of Palm Beach, Florida; Susan Jaminet of Detroit, Michigan; Sheri (Jaminet) Scarborough of Boca Raton, Florida; and Jennifer Jaminet-Nielson of Austintown, Ohio; and seven grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his father Jean Jaminet, his mother Rena (Mazzoleni) Jaminet, his sister Patricia (Jaminet) Bucheit, and his son Michael Jaminet.

Family and friends may pay their respects on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm at the Rossi & Santucci Funeral Home, 4221 Market St., Boardman (new location) and again on Thursday, April 5, 2018 from 10:00 am until 10:50 am at St. Christine Church, Youngstown.

Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery, Youngstown

Memorial contributions may be made in Raymond’s name to the Shutterbug Foundation by visiting www.theshutterbugfoundation.org.

Family and friends may visit www.rossisantuccifh.com. to view this obituary, sign the guest book and send condolences to Raymond’s family.

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