Longtime Cape Girardeau architect dies at age 88

Cape Girardeau architect Fred Dormeyer Jr., a man who left an indelible mark on the city, died at his home Friday at the age of 88.

His architectural career in Cape Girardeau started in 1939 and ran until his retirement in 1996.

A graduate of Central High School, Dormeyer attended the School of Architecture of Washington University in St. Louis. After graduating from college, Dormeyer was self-employed as an architect in Cape Girardeau until World War II broke out.

During the war, Dormeyer worked on governmental projects at the Curtiss-Wright Corp. in St. Louis. He remained in St. Louis until 1947, working for Butler Brothers as chief architect.

In 1948, he returned to Cape Girardeau to open his own office.

Dormeyer designed more than 1,080 buildings within a 150-mile radius of Cape Girardeau, including the local churches Grace United Methodist, Red Star Baptist, Southside Baptist, Hanover Lutheran and St. Mary's Cathedral.

He also worked with area school systems in Perryville and Kennett, and in Cape Girardeau he worked on the renovation of Schultz school and supervised construction of Central High School.

Some other Cape Girardeau buildings Dormeyer left his mark on include the Plaza Galleria Atrium and the Naval Reserve building.