Marshall-Waters-Woody co-founder to retire

One of the two founding partners of Springfield architecture firm Marshall-Waters-Woody Associates Inc. plans to retire at the end of the month.

Ed Waters, 86, will continue to serve in a consultant role after his March 31 retirement, said Bill Woody, the firm's president who will be the only remaining partner.

"It's well deserved," the 64-year-old Woody said of Waters' retirement. "He's put in a lot of time."

Waters founded Marshall-Waters Architects in 1962 with Bob Marshall, who died in the mid-2000s. The name changed to Marshall-Waters-Woody when Woody came on as partner in 1978. The company is housed at the Plaza Towers office building, 1736 E. Sunshine St., which the architectural firm designed in 1969.

Woody, who declined to disclose how ownership of the firm would shake out with Waters' retirement, said the company will have six employees in Waters' absense, comprising five registered architects and an office manager. Woody said the firm will keep its Marshall-Waters-Woody moniker, and no plans are currently in the works to bring on another partner.

Marshall-Waters-Woody focuses largely on the design of commercial buildings but also has designed more than 85 Army and Air Force Exchange Service projects on more than 37 bases nationwide. The company also is known for working on over 300 McDonald's restaurants in seven states, including the 50th anniversary McDonald's built in Rockhill, near St. Louis, according to a news release.