A Funny Coincidence
As we approach the middle of April, our thoughts once again turn to the coincidence of Brian Manning and Dan Fay having been born on April 18, 1966.
This coincidence was discovered a long time ago when they were both in the architecture studio at Onondaga Community College (OCC). Brian and Dan both enrolled in the Architectural Technology program at OCC in the fall of 1984.
In those days we mainly utilized manual drafting. This involved drawing by hand and involved spending many, many hours working over drafting tables. As was typical for this type of work, a steady stream of light conversation would help pass the time. While working on our drafting projects, Brian indicated that he had a birthday coming up soon. Dan chimed in to the conversation that he too was approaching his birthday. From there the strange coincidence of their identical birthday was revealed. Everyone in the drafting room got a good laugh teasing them about being “long-lost” twins, separated at birth.
Both Brian and Dan continued through the Architectural Technology program and graduated from O.C.C. at the same time in December of 1986. At that point their paths diverged, Brian went to work full time at a firm in Syracuse that he had been working at while still enrolled at OCC. Meanwhile, Dan started work in Cazenovia for Jack Teitsch and Bob Kent as a drafter. Each lost touch with the other as they continued along very different life paths. Brian got married and settled with his wife in Lakeland, started his family, and continued to develop his skills at work. Dan left TKF in 1988, traveling the country with a high school friend, and then went on to complete his undergraduate degree from NYIT, and his Masters from The University of Virginia.
Dan returned home from Virginia in 1996 and began working for Jack and Bob once again. After Jack retired in 1998, Dan became a partner of Teitsch Kent Fay Architects, P.C. One day in the early 2000’s, Bob mentioned that he had received a resume and he thought Dan and he should interview the applicant; a gentleman named Brian A. Manning. Dan immediately laughed, remembering his long lost “brother”. Long story short, they hired Brian and he became an integral part of the team at TKF.