* 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.