Remembering John Chrysler

Words: Dan Kamys

A longtime friend of MCAA and frequent contributor to MASONRY Magazine, John shaped the trade through decades of service, scholarship, and advocacy. As Executive Director of the Masonry Institute of America and the Western States Clay Products Association, he became the voice of masonry in California, working tirelessly with the Building Standards Commission and the Division of the State Architect to advance and protect the craft. His fingerprints are on California's modern masonry landscape in ways few will ever fully appreciate.

John's influence reached far beyond the West Coast. He served as Treasurer of MACS for many years and gave countless hours to the TMS 402/602 Committee, chairing the Construction Requirements Subcommittee through multiple cycles before leading the Main Committee from 2016 to 2022. That work produced the 2022 edition of Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures, a document used daily by engineers and the trade across North America. It stands as part of his legacy.

Those who worked with John knew him as generous with his time, sharp in his thinking, and relentless in his commitment to doing right by the industry. He believed in the people who build with brick, block, and stone, and he fought to make sure the codes governing their work reflected real craft.

The MCAA extends its deepest condolences to Debbie and the entire Chrysler family. John will be dearly missed.


About: Industry News
PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Greg Brown
Safety Library
Read More
Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Why "The Software Can't Track That" Is Finally Going Away
August 2026

For as long as specialty contractors have used field software, most of them have kept a workaround somewhere: a spreadsheet on a foreman's laptop, a whiteboard in the trailer, or a text thread where crew leads send block counts at the end of the day becau

Erin Koets
Build Smart
MAP Partner
Read More
Monadnock Building
August 2026

Chicago’s Monadnock Building doesn’t dominate the skyline the way it once did. Surrounded by steel-and-glass towers, the dark brick structure can seem almost understated. But for anyone in the masonry industry, it remains one of the most important buildin

Cass Stern
American Treasure
Brick Clay Brick
Read More