July 28, 1951 – March 1, 2020
James (Jim) Lynn Kudrna, 68, passed away on March 1, 2020. He was born and raised in Omaha, NE to parents James Joseph and Patsy Ann Chandler Kudrna. He was married to Jolene (Armbrust) Kudrna for 41 years, and they had two children, Casey and McKenzie.
Jim attended the University of Nebraska earning both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Architecture. He began his career with HDR in Omaha, and then taught for more than 30 years at the University of Oklahoma. After retiring from OU in 2008, Jim worked and consulted for GH2 Architects in Norman and Tulsa. In 2016, he and Jolene moved to Portland, OR, to be closer to their daughter and fulfill a lifelong dream of living in the Pacific Northwest.
Jim was preceded in death by his father, James. He is survived by his wife, Jolene of Portland, OR, his mother, Patsy of Omaha, NE, his sister Kim Kohl and her husband John of Omaha, NE, his daughter McKenzie of Portland, OR, his son Casey, daughter in law Kinsey, and grandchildren Karsen and Carter of Overland Park, KS, and many other family members.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s name to the ALS Association of Oregon located at 700 NE Multnomah St, Suite 210, Portland, OR 97232.
The memorial service and reception planned for Monday, March 30, 2020, in Norman, OK, has been postponed until further notice.
The Gibbs Design in Action Awards (GDAA) program, led by Dr. Wanda Liebermann, has announced its 2026–2027 funded student projects. The initiative supports design and research work that addresses social, cultural, and economic issues in the built environment through collaboration with faculty and community partners.
The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
The Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Camille Germany, Chief of Staff, has been named the 2026 recipient of the university-wide Jennifer L. Wise Good Stewardship Award.
