Memories of Steve Nilles | Ever Loved

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In memory of

Steve Nilles

Wheaton, IL, USA

February 15, 1957 - March 13, 2021

Feb 15, 1957 - Mar 13, 2021

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In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to ACE Steve Nilles Memorial Scholarship.

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Kate Mitten

Shared a heart

Nora Nilles

1

Comments:

Nora Nilles

March 2020 at Mark and Nora's son Andrew and wife Lindsay's wedding. Precious family time together. March 2020 at Mark and Nora's son Andrew and wife Lindsay's wedding. Precious family time together. March 2020 at Mark and Nora's son Andrew and wife Lindsay's... Read more

Nora Nilles

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Nora Nilles

1985 at Steve's brother Mark and Nora's wedding. Many happy memories! 1985 at Steve's brother Mark and Nora's wedding. Many happy memories! 1985 at Steve's brother Mark and Nora's wedding. Many... Read more

In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to ACE Steve Nilles Memorial Scholarship.

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Karen Hayden

We are so sorry for your loss are thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. John and Karen Hayden

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Karen Carpenter

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Karen Carpenter

I will always remember Steve as a man with a zest for life and adventure! He brightened every gathering he... Read more I will always remember Steve as a man with a zest for life and adventure! He brightened every gathering he attended and made everyone... Read more I will always remember Steve as a man with a zest for... Read more

Scott Seyer

I first met Steve at Murphy Jahn. He definitely stood out in the office, as he was the loudest person around. And he had no problems letting the expletives fly. My initial impression was to keep my distance - but soon after working with Steve, I realized what a teddy bear he was. Once you got into his trust circle, he kept you there forever.

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Birgit Müller

Dear Maggie, Klaus and I send our heartfelt condolences to you and your family for the loss of your husband.

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Lori Ohrnberger

Dear Maggie,
I just heard of the loss of your husband, Steve. I am truly sorry to hear this tragic news. Please know I am sending heartfelt condolences and prayers to you and your family.
Love, Lori Ohrnberger

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Scott Seyer

2012, Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates

No project was too big with Steve’s expertise....

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Anna Nilles

Scott Seyer

2016, San Francisco Airport

Even at the airport, Steve could meet a new friend.......

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Stephanie Nilles

Anna Nilles

Scott Seyer

2007, Italy

Steve at the Calacatta Sponda quarry

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Anna Nilles

Scott Seyer

2007, Carrara, Province of Massa and Carrara, Italy

At the top of Italy’s main Carrara white marble quarry

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Anna Nilles

Tom Hnasko

What a great guy. Even in grade school, Steve was so respected and admired - I think it was because he had such a big heart. I’m certain he was a wonderful husband, father, and friend. I remember when he and Maggie came to Santa Fe a few years ago - what a blast!

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Maggie Nilles

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Lisa Minning

Tracy Coutre

Comments:

Maggie Nilles

Steven Nilles and Steven Nilles Steven Nilles and Steven Nilles Steven Nilles and Steven Nilles

Lisa Minning

Simple contentment...a man, a boy and the water:) Simple contentment...a man, a boy and the water:) Simple contentment...a man, a boy and the water:)

Maggie Nilles

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Tracy Coutre

Comments:

Scott Seyer

Fantastic family photo- Steve is beaming with pride. There’s no other way to think of him when it comes to... Read more Fantastic family photo- Steve is beaming with pride. There’s no other way to think of him when it comes to his family. Fantastic family photo- Steve is beaming with pride.... Read more

Jo Anne Nasti

Dear Nilles family:

I literally watched Steve and Maggie fall in love while living off campus at Notre Dame. It was simply the most natural thing in the world. How they laughed together! I can't imagine the loss of this wonderful guy.

My sincerest condolences to all, Joni Mackay ND '79

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Anna Nilles

Erik Harris

My favorite sketch of his was a concept, made in all seriousness to help win a prospective tenant, to turn the liquid mass dampers on top of 150 Riverside into a giant salt water aquarium with room for a medium-sized grouper and some friends. And then to put a chipping green in the area well on the roof in place of the cooling towers. Great sketches; lively, funny, and detailed enough to tell a complete story.
He wisely didn’t end up sharing it, so I missed my chance to scan a copy, but I know it exists somewhere out there in one of his many, many pads of graph paper along with thousands of his other crazy and genius ideas.

He was a tireless problem solver, thinker, occasional bomb-thrower/agitator, and most important to me, a mentor. He was generous with his time, thoughtful with advice, and great to be around. My teacher. My boss. My friend.

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Anna Nilles

Erik Harris

2013, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL, USA

Steve's trdemark pad of trace paper and a blue Sign pen. There's nothing he couldn't solve when armed with these, and maybe a little bottle of white out sometimes.

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Jon Hoffman

Anna Nilles

FAIA ceremony

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Tracy Coutre

Anna Nilles

Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA, USA

Mom and Dad in front of the Sol Lewitt exhibit where Dad got in trouble TWICE for touching the art.

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Ray Volk

Lisa Minning

Tracy Coutre

Anna Nilles

2015, 150 North Riverside, North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL, USA

Dad-splaining 150 n Riverside with the classic Steve point!

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Lisa Minning

Tracy Coutre

Scott Seyer

Shared a heart

Kevin Dyball

In 1977, as young architectural studies students, Steve and I traveled to Munich together for the sole purpose of drinking our way through Octoberfest. We went with empty backpacks, determined to return to Roma with our three liter conquests. Hoffbrau House, Lowenbrau, Paulaner, Spaten, and at this point my memory remains blurry, but I do know we did return to Roma with our backpacks overflowing with empty three liter mugs. I will simply say the trip was a drunken success.

Upon graduation, over the next 41 years, I also had the privilege of knowing Steve on a professional level. From Sony Center in Berlin, the Kopinski Hotel in Munich, five major buildings in Abu Dhabi, six Class A office Towers in Chicago, to Park Tower in San Francisco, Steve left his mark. And deserving credit is also due to our classmate, Ray Volk, who performed the Elevator Consulting on virtually every one of those projects.

While I cannot offer much insight into Steve’s work with Helmut Jahn, or his stint with Dirk Lohan, Steve’s work which is built and stands today, is even more admirable than his Airport Thesis Project. I can share some insight to the work I do know well, Steve’s run with Goettsch Partners, and the work performed for The John Buck Company. While Steve outwardly exhibited a playful demeanor, he took his role seriously, and poured his heart into every project. Steve was the Partner-in-Charge for five projects for JBC. Steve imported the cable supported glass lobby wall concept from his Kopinski Hotel experience with Jahn to Chicago. Steve was always pushing the envelope, taking things to the limit. In each of our three Chicago office towers, each generation of cable supported glass lobby wall, the cables got smaller and fewer, the glass lite size got bigger, and the wall became more transparent. When Apple took Structural Glazing to the manufacturing limits, ten foot wide x forty two foot tall pieces of butt glazed laminated glass, Steve was there trying to incorporate that concept into JBC Buildings. One of the ideas I loved most was the One North Wacker large round half sphere planters with the specimen tree sticking out of the top, pure Nilles. That was done long before California had ever seen their first Living Green Wall. Steve and I enjoyed numerous trips to Forte Di Marmi over the years for stone slab selection and stone lay downs. On every trip, Steve sucked down all the scarpinos and feasted on lardo, both with reckless abandon. That is why the Italians loved him so much. It was impossible not to have fun when you were with him. The Abu Dhabi Global Market Square, five buildings, was massive in scale, complex in composition, and made even more challenging in political and cultural nuance. The project was a monumental undertaking, but a labor of love that Steve willingly and passionately embraced. He spent three years of his life living full time in Abu Dhabi. While that project was successfully completed, Steve had a heart attack during its term, I suspect the pressures of that burden may have taken years off his life. When you build projects of that magnitude, if you survive, when you get to completion, you are a changed person.

Putting aside all of these iconic projects, I wanted to share the project that I believe best reflects Steve Nilles, Quintessential Nilles at his finest! I had to go into the archives to dust off the plans to find a little known project, but what I believe to be the pinnacle of all Steve’s achievements, what may arguably be his most important work, The John Buck Company Bus Design. The JBC Bus is a custom party vehicle specifically designed to make the Holy Crusade from Chicago to Notre Dame Stadium during the Fall Football Season. Who better than Steve!

We were honored to know him, the magnitude and breadth of Steve’s work is impressive, please enjoy the attachment.

Steve is not gone, as Architects know, you leave a part of yourself in every project. The projects live on!

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Lisa Minning

Tracy Coutre

Tom Hnasko

Ed Gauvreau

Comments:

Tom Hnasko

What a great story! Thank you so much for sharing. What a great story! Thank you so much for sharing. What a great story! Thank you so much for sharing.... Read more

Jim Dushek

Elaine and I want to offer our heartfelt condolences to Maggie and the entire Nilles family. We all share in the loss of "one of the best men walking".
I had the honor and privilege to have known and worked with Steve for over twenty years. His brilliance, professionalism, and dedication to architecture was unmatched in the industry. He not only gained my utmost respect but he gained the respect of all those who knew him and had the opportunity to work with him, from General Contractors, subcontractors, Engineers, Architects and Developers. He was truly a leader in his field.
When we faced issues on the 111 S. Wacker or 155 North Wacker projects we all could not wait to get Steve involved to help solve the concerns. We all knew we could count on Steve to roll up his sleeves and create a path forward. It always seemed like he could not stand to have unresolved problems on the job so he instigated collaboration with the team to work out a resolution.
Steve possessed a vibrant personality that drew people to his side and made them want to work with him and respect him. Even when there were times of disagreement we could count on Steve to lead us through the tough path ahead.
Steve will be forever missed as he was a cohort, companion and most importantly, a friend.

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Lisa Minning

Stephanie Nilles

Steve as a young’un with his best friend Tony Olsen (they remained close friends til his death)

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In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to ACE Steve Nilles Memorial Scholarship.

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Created with love by CHarles Nilles (Steve's son), Anna Nilles (Steve's daughter), Stephanie Nilles (Steve's daughter) and Gerald Nilles (Steve's son).

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