Thiry received his bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Washington in 1928 and continued his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He then returned to Seattle to begin his career as an architect.
He became a leading architect in Washington state and designed buildings for the state capitol in Olympia, the Univeristy of Washington, and Washington State University. During World War II he was active in designing miliary installations and he later became the primary architect for the Century 21 Exposition [years?]. He was an active member of Seattle's Panning Commission as well as numerous other organizations. During the Kennedy administration, he was appointed a member of the executive committee of the President's Council for the Redevelopment of Pennsylvania Avenue.
