LERA Remembers Sami Matar, P.E., Associate Partner

April 17, 2026 — LERA Consulting Structural Engineers is deeply saddened to share the news that last night, our friend and colleague, Sami Matar, passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. In the end, he was at peace and surrounded by his family.

Sami joined LERA in 1995 and served the firm faithfully as an engineer and leader for over 30 years. He was a brilliant designer and forensic engineer, and an extraordinarily kind soul who supported his colleagues and clients, and mentored our younger staff. Everyone who knew Sami will remember him for his compassion for others, his easy laugh and his steadfast commitment to his friends and family.

Sami’s passing is an immense loss for the engineering community. Whenever creative and innovative structural solutions were needed, he was frequently the first person clients and colleagues would turn to. He played a pivotal role in the design some of LERA’s most complex projects, including Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, NY; Espirito Santo Plaza in Miami, FL; the Lodha World Towers in Mumbai, India; Hermitage Plaza in Paris, France; and more. In addition, he boasted an impressive portfolio of cultural work that included the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library Renovation in New York, NY; Richard Serra's London Cross Pavilion in Bedford, NY; the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT; the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar; and the Berlin Historical Museum Addition in Berlin, Germany. Recently, he was a crucial member of the forensic team for the investigation of a parking garage collapse at 57 Ann Street in Manhattan, as well as the design team for the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, CA and the upcoming Kenneth C. Griffin Pavilion at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a project that held great personal meaning for him.

A member of SEAoNY and the ASCE Tall Buildings Committee, he co-authored ASCE’s Manual of Practice No. 143 – Design and Performance of Tall Buildings for Wind. For his advisory work following the September 11th Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center, he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the City of New York. He was also a longstanding contributor to Canstruction New York—an annual charitable design competition combatting hunger in New York City—volunteering on LERA’s team every year for over 20 years.

Sami will be missed greatly, not least for his spirit, his intellect and, most importantly, the joy that he brought to everyone around him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Andrea, his son, Alex, and his entire family, including his brother, Elias, and his nephew, Lucas, both of whom worked closely with him at LERA.

Pictured from left to right: Sami; Richard Garlock, Partner; Eddy Roberts, Associate Partner.

Sami with his brother, Elias (left) and his nephew, Lucas (center) at a LERA social event.

Sami helping LERA's young engineers build their competition sculpture for Canstruction New York in 2024.

Sami with the LERA team at the Canstruction New York Awards Gala in 2018.

Pictured from left to right: Elias Matar, Partner and Sami's brother; Benjamin Cornelius, Partner; Sami.