LOCAL NEWS | WJE Remembers Masonry Expert and Former President Jerry Stockbridge

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) mourns the passing of Jerry Stockbridge, a nationally recognized authority on masonry and terra cotta structures and a former president of the firm. He passed away on February 9, 2026, at the age of eighty-five.

Jerry joined WJE in 1973 as the firm's first architectural engineer and went on to play a defining role in expanding the company's technical expertise and reputation. Over the course of his twenty-four-year career at WJE, he established the firm's Architecture group and helped build its nationally recognized building enclosures and historic preservation practices.

"Jerry Stockbridge was a true pioneer," said Bill Nugent, WJE President and CEO. "He was known for his broad technical knowledge and deep respect for historic structures and materials. As president, he guided us through a pivotal time, helping position WJE for continued success as an employee-owned firm. Jerry was an exceptional architect, engineer, leader, mentor, and friend. His impact on WJE is enduring, and he will be deeply missed."

A prime consultant on the restoration of many historically significant structures, Jerry contributed to landmark projects, including the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Woolworth Building, and the granite abutments of the George Washington Bridge. His work on the Woolworth Building earned the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois Most Innovative Award in 1983.

Born in Chicago on September 27, 1940, Jerry earned his bachelor of architectural engineering degree from the University of Illinois in 1965 and his master of architectural engineering degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1967. He began his career at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), where he directed the design and preparation of contract documents for several major commercial structures, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the thirty-five-story Gateway III project in Chicago, and the fifty-story One Shell Plaza office tower in Houston, Texas. After leaving SOM in 1972, he joined Tiritilli and Engstrom, where he designed and prepared contract documents for medium- and small-sized structures, including factories, warehouses, stores, apartments and recreational structures, before bringing his expertise to WJE.

In 1992, Jerry was named president of WJE. During his five-year tenure, he strengthened the firm's reputation for innovative problem-solving and led efforts to formalize marketing and client development functions in response to a changing and increasingly competitive marketplace. He retired as president in 1997 and remained active with WJE as an affiliated consultant until 2011.

Jerry's contributions to the profession extended well beyond WJE. He received the Harley J. McKee Award in 1987 for outstanding contributions to preservation technology and a State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 1988. In 1995, his renovation of the Hecht Company Warehouse in Washington, D.C., was recognized by the Washington, D.C. Preservation League.

He was an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the Association for Preservation Technology, ASCE, the American Concrete Institute, and ACI/ASCE Committee 530 on Masonry Structures. He also served as a masonry consultant to the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Safety of Facades of Buildings in Chicago, represented ASCE on the Masonry Committee of the Building Seismic Safety Council, and served on the board of directors of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois.

Throughout his career, Jerry was widely respected not only for his technical expertise but also for his mentorship, collegiality, and integrity. His legacy lives on in the firm he helped shape and in the many colleagues and clients influenced by his work.

He is survived by his wife, Susan; three children; and nine grandchildren.