* John T. McCormack; Retired Art Director

John (Red) T. McCormack, who worked as an art director at Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures, has died at a Mission Hills hospital. He was 82.

A resident of Mission Hills, McCormack died Friday of cancer, said his daughter, Joan Graff of Granada Hills.

Born in Springfield, Mass., McCormack came to California as a teen-ager and began building sets for Columbia in the early 1930s. He studied architecture at night school and worked his way into the art department, later becoming a draftsman, assistant art director and eventually, art director. He worked on many productions, including the film, “All the King’s Men” (1949) and the 1960s’ television show “Route 66.” In 1959, McCormack was nominated for an Emmy award for best art direction in a television film for “Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre.”

In the mid-1960s, he left Columbia and went to Universal, where he worked as art director until his retirement in 1973. McCormack also was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Palmiere McCormack; daughter Jean Wetzel of Thousand Oaks; sister Kathleen Benson of Fallon, Nev.; nine grandchildren and one great-grandson. His son, Philip McCormack, died last December.

A memorial Mass is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. John the Baptist de la Salle Church, 16545 Chatsworth St. in Granada Hills. Utter-McKinley Mortuary in Mission Hills is handling the arrangements.

Donations can be made in McCormack’s name to the American Diabetes Assn.