In Memory – Engin Artemel
We are sad to hear of the passing of Living Legend Engin Artemel. Engin passed away on June 17, 2020. His accomplishments as a Living Legend can be read here.
Engin Mehmet Artemel (Age 81) died peacefully on June 17, 2020 at his home in Old Town Alexandria, VA. He is survived by his wife, Agnes; children, Steve Lollman, Suzan Sara��oglu (Ugur), Deniz Artemel (Stephen Morgan), Sibel ��nsal (Recep), and Ali John Pierre Artemel; and grandchildren Necati and Jenna. Engin was born in Ankara, Turkey on July 31, 1938 to parents Mehmet Ali Artemel and Fatma Belkis (Osten) Artemel. He graduated from Istanbul’s Galatasaray High School, Turkey’s oldest private school, before moving to California in 1959. He attended Santa Ana College, studied architecture at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and earned master’s degrees in urban planning and civil engineering at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Engin met his first wife, Janice (Finch) Artemel, while at KU; they married in 1964. After completing their studies the family moved back to Istanbul, where Engin fulfilled his Turkish military service as a naval officer. He began his career with the City of Alexandria shortly after returning to the United States in 1973. The marriage ended in divorce in 1983. He married Agnes (Jaffe) Artemel in 1989. Engin served in the City of Alexandria Department of Planning for 10 years; he was Planning Director from 1977-1984. One of his most notable contributions to the City of Alexandria was the opening of the Alexandria waterfront to residents and the general public, planned through careful attention to historical precedent and in close collaboration with community leaders. He also led the revitalization of lower King Street. Engin continued to be involved in urban planning and development locally after entering the private sector. He later founded the consultancy Artemel International, where he advised municipal governments in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and across the former Soviet Union on urban planning issues, including waterfront design, tourism, and infrastructure development. Artemel was named a Living Legend of Alexandria in 2009. Interment at Ivy Hill Cemetery on Friday, June 19. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers and in Engin’s memory please take a stroll and enjoy his beloved Old Town Alexandria waterfront.
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