Hood-Rich tapped to design Hammons memorial

John Q. Hammons Industries selected Springfield architecture firm Hood-Rich Inc. to design a permanent memorial for the businessman and philanthropist at his grave in Fairview.

The memorial under development at Dice Cemetary - about 40 miles southeast of Joplin - is expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to a news release. Hammons died in Springfield on May 26 at age 94 after fighting multiple cardiovascular, lung and pulmonary disorders.

The memorial is designed to include a red granite centerpiece nameplate, a bench, granite grave markers, stone columns, iron fencing, a flagstone walking path and low-maintenance landscaping.

“We are pleased to bring Mr. Hammons’ vision to light with the Hammons memorial in Fairview,” JQH Industries CEO Jacquie Dowdy said in the release. “We look forward to creating a place of reflection and peace for those who wish to visit and pay their respects to a legend and friend we greatly miss.”

The release noted the location was preselected by Hammons, with the memorial taking into consideration his requests, as well as living relatives. Hammons' May 29 burial at the site came as a surprise to some, including family members and business associates, who said they were not informed of the private ceremony.

Hood-Rich also is the lead architect on JQH Hotels & Resorts' University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center renovations. The $4 million project calls for refurbishing the property's exterior, as well as making capital improvements to the interior.