Ronald Joseph Safko ’66

Ronald Joseph Safko ’66 died peacefully at home in Columbia, South Carolina, on September 18, 2019. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and a football and rugby player at Dartmouth. After receiving his A.B. in art and pre-architecture, Ron earned his master of architecture from North Carolina State University. He worked for architecture firms in Boston and Raleigh, North Carolina, and then relocated to Columbia in 1974 and formed Ron Safko Architect AIA, specializing in urban design, site planning, and commercial architecture. In 1978 the firm’s name changed to Safko Probst Architects AIA with an added specialty in government planning and architecture. Honored as an “Architect of the Year,” he was the architect of record for such works as the historic Kenner House restoration, numerous state and federal projects, and more than 3,000 apartment units across the Carolinas. Ron was active in his local chamber of commerce, the United Way, and the Lexington County planning commission. He was honored with the chamber’s first Volunteer of the Year Award. As a gift to the Columbia community Ron led fundraising efforts and designed the Stone of Hope Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in King Park. Ron spent his leisure time traveling the world with his wife, Mary, family, and friends. He lived life large, made a difference through many good deeds and acts of kindness, and left this world better than he found it. He will be missed by many.