Erling Hultgreen Falck Passes Away at 89

Architect, designer, sailor, car aficionado, lover of jazz and drum and bugle corps, father, grandfather, and a man of great taste, Erling Hultgreen Falck departed this world for another adventure on September 20, 2022. Born in Washington, D.C. on March 10, 1933, Erling was the son of Erling Hultgreen Falck, Sr., and Rose Emilia Vogt. He lived a remarkable, adventure-filled, and storied life.

Erling met his adored wife, Mary Ellen Giuffra while obtaining his Master of Architecture degree at the Catholic University of America. The pair wed and settled in Silver Spring, Maryland, where they welcomed their daughter Jami Ann Falck.

A lifelong love of the sea brought the young family to Marblehead where they happily settled. The oceans and harbors of the world were Erling’s playing fields where he sailed, raced, and cruised Lightings, Etchell’s, One Designs, Nonsuch, and his beloved Herreshoff, “Candela.” Back on land, he roamed the back roads and byways in his collection of classic 356 Porsches, a passion he shared with fellow enthusiasts and friends throughout the country.

Professionally, Erling established his illustrious career with Cambridge Seven Associates and Huygens and Tappé, designing recognized landmarks such as The New England Aquarium and The American Pavilion at Expo 67, and soon became a nationally renowned architect and designer.

Ready for a new challenge, and tired of the commute, Erling hung out a shingle and opened his own architectural practice. The converted attic of his lovingly restored 1760s Old Town home, with a perfect view of the Marblehead Harbor, became his office where he worked in a contemporary design idiom in tandem with clients who became dear friends. Erling was quickly sought out for his iconic striking, clean aesthetic and designed hundreds of homes and businesses throughout New England.

Not a pair with a flair for simplicity, Erling took the helm helping to restore The Mugford Building in the 1980s as an iconic destination in Old Town where Mary Ellen opened Marblehead’s first prepared food store, Truffles, blocks away from his office and their home. Truffles was the hot spot for all of the North Shore’s foodies, and renowned for its carefully curated shelf items and design - all with the Erling aesthetic.

After Mary Ellen’s passing in the early 1990s, Maren Meyer Larson helped Erling strap on his dancing shoes again and became his partner in life as his second wife, gifting him a second daughter, Eliza Larson (Cook). Maren shared with Erling the passions of art, travel, and dance until her death in 2011. For Erling, the passing of his two beautiful women may have been his most difficult life challenge, but over the next 10 years, he was able to develop deep friendships, with particular thanks to Dr. John Santos, his Goodwins Court entourage, and … to Ana.

Erling left us reluctantly, albeit peacefully, after a few short hours at Kaplan House in Danvers. He was the beloved father of Jami Falck Barry, forever Mr. Falck to Jonathan, Step-Father of Eliza Larson Cook, “Poppie” to Olivia, Miles, and Charlotte Barry, and most recently Step-Grandfather to Claire and Maren Larson Cook. His legacy is survived by his family, the exquisite horizon of homes he designed in the Greater New England area, and the sea breeze that carries his lifelong loves.

A celebration of his remarkable life will be held on Sunday, October 2, 2022, at Old North Church in Marblehead, MA. We kindly ask for his design aesthetic to be upheld with no flowers, but we welcome you to make a donation in his honor to Kaplan Family Hospice House, Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 or via https://giving.caredimensions.org/site/Donation2?df_id=2080&mfc_pref=T&2080.donation=form1%20 or the Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970 or via https://my.pem.org/donate/i/pemannualfund. Your generosity as a remembrance would be most remarkable to our loving aesthete, Erling. 

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com for the Falck family