Madison, WI and Tallahassee, FL - Dr. Albert Trull, Jr. passed away peacefully on October 29, 2012. He was born June 10, 1928 in Birmingham, Alabama to Alberto and Pura (Carrilles) Trull, originally of Cien Fuegos and Havana, Cuba. To his friends in Madison he is known as Albert, but those in Florida called him simply "Al".
While in High School, Albert worked as an 'engraving boy' at the Birmingham News. He recollected vividly the day President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died; he was working with the chemicals to create the plates from which images for a Special Edition would be printed. With the money Albert earned at the paper, he set sail to discover the eastern seaboard and Cuba.
Albert graduated with honors from Alabama's Auburn University and earned a degree in architecture. He later earned from Florida State University his master's degree in urban planning and a PhD in Education and Urban and Regional planning. Albert served honorably at the Army's Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he taught architectural drawing for two years during the Korean War. As a young man Albert lived in New York City and worked in the Daniel Schwartzman architectural firm, specializing in department store design. One of his projects was the famed Macy's Store of 34th Street where he designed a staff lounge and cafeteria. Afterwards, he and a friend spent one year traveling across Europe, Middle East, and Africa. They had boarded the S.S. Ryndam II of the Holland American Line where they spent the Christmas season waiting to arrive in Rotterdam, Holland, the first leg of their journey.
Albert moved in 1966 to Tallahassee, Florida where he opened his own architectural practice. Among Albert's major accomplishments are his work on the First Presbyterian Church, the Union Bank, and the Mental Health Building on Tennessee Street. He also designed the city's Parks and Recreation Administrative offices on Myers Park Drive. Albert was not only President of his local Kiwanis, but also chairman of the Blue Print 2000 Committee, a commission set up by the city to guide the city remodel. He served on Tallahassee's first ever Code-Enforcement Board, helping draft the city's Environmental Management Ordinance, and was deeply involved in the Gaines Street Revitalization Committee and the South Monroe Sector Plan. The Mayor and Governing Body of Tallahassee proclaimed Albert Trull Jr. Day on June 25, 2003.
Albert wrote in 2006, "My passion is learning and improving my knowledge base. I am now learning Spanish, ecology, history, spirituality and other related subjects. I also attend concerts with my daughter who also lives in Madison. My passion is learning from any source possible." Albert informed his Spanish instructor in Madison that he was learning the language so that he could talk to his mother in her own tongue when he got to 'the other side'.
Albert leaves behind his beloved daughter, Anna Trull, Madison, WI; a sister, Mary Elizabeth Travis Stewart, Blountstown, FL, and three nieces, Deborah Britt, Teresa Hebb and Mary Jo Stephens. He will be fondly remembered by his friends Robert, Helena, Monica, Jim and Alistair; and former professor, James R. Wilson, and partner, Gregory Humphrey, who managed his affairs and care over the past few years. Memorial donations may be made to the park where Albert gardened at Capital Neighborhood--Period Garden Park, P.O. Box 2613, Madison, WI 53701 (www.periodgardenpark.org). Thank you, Albert, for being such a kind and loyal friend to so many. Your compassion and care for others made this world a better place for all of us.
