Cancer Claims Liberty’s Gildea

October 26, 2010
By Allison Landa, News Editor

Liberty Property Trust has lost a valued leader and friend. Lawrence Gildea, the company’s senior vice president and regional director, has died at the age of 59 after receiving yearlong treatment for lung cancer.

Chief executive officer Bill Hanowsky called Gildea extraordinary as a developer, a manager, and a person. Hanowsky added that Gildea’s integrity, creativity and passion were evident in all his actions.

Gildea began his real estate career with The Rouse Property in Baltimore, moving to Liberty’s predecessor firm Rouse & Associates in 1984. There he managed development and leasing in the firm’s Maryland office before launching Rouse & Associates’ North Carolina office in 1988.

Hailing from Scranton, Pennsylvania, the 25-year commercial real estate veteran received a master’s degree in urban planning from Catholic University. He had served as president of the Piedmont Triad Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks and was an active member of the Piedmont Horizons, the High Point Urban Design Task Force and the Business Advisory Board of Duke Power.

A resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, Gildea is survived by his wife of 36 years as well as a son, daughter and grandson.