This section showcases my father's incredible journey through life, highlighting his projects and achievements. His dedication and passion are evident in the photographs that tell his story.
Anthony M. Guzzardo (Tony) was born and raised in Illinois. His father, Mariano started a landscaping company where Tony worked for him through High School. Tony had ambition to be the first in the family to go to college where he graduated from the University of Illinois and obtained a master's degree in landscape architecture from Harvard University. He also found time to get married to his beloved wife Patricia (Pat).
Tony and Pat moved out west to Telegraph Hill in San Francisco where in 1959 Tony helped set up the west coast office of Sasaki Walker in San Francisco to manage the planning for Foothill College. He worked there for several years and was named partner then ventured out onto his own. Tony founded Anthony M. Guzzardo & Associates, Inc. in 1963, a San Francisco firm specializing in land planning and landscaping architecture and were graced by a baby boy, Michael. Tony put a team together including Dale Ikeda and Lyle Fredrickson and his wife Pat who ran the bookkeeping and payroll where they began to create magic, blending natural landscapes into suburban and commercial developments. From large scale home and commercial projects to creative land plans for large estates, he began to make a name for himself in the industry. Tony and Pat moved to the water in Tiburon and started racing sailboats becoming prolific in the Knarr Fleet.
As business grew, the team expanded to a few dozen partners and employees and Paul joined the firm on August 8th, 1978 with planning, computer and technical knowledge of all things Mac which helped them evolve as technology began to advance the profession. Tony's skill was conceptualizing and free handing design elements which is sometimes lost today in modern planning, but the combination of Tony's vision and planning skills and addition of Paul's planning and technical skills was the perfect blend.
As business continued to grow, so did awards and recognition for projects all over America and across the globe. Anthony M. Guzzardo & Associates partnered with major home and commercial developers and was often the first call when an opportunity came up to create something special. Tony even worked with Arnold Palmer and Robert Redford to create iconic projects with a shared vision. A fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects, Tony has also been executive director of the Landscape Architecture Foundation. He has been a teacher and guest lecturer at many universities.
Tony had created a legacy, so when it was time to relax and enjoy retirement Tony sold the firm after 37 years on October 1, 2000 to Paul and his partners who out of respect for Tony formed The Guzzardo Partnership, which is still today a name in Land Planning.
Throughout his adult life Tony and Pat traveled the globe and owned several racing sailboats and power boats, now choosing to cruise the Bay and Delta on Pepe, an Albin 28. Tony still finds time to golf and he and Patricia enjoy a quieter life enjoying their shared interests.