Bruce Garver was born Nov. 30, 1933, and died Nov. 21, 2012, in Tucson’s veterans hospital. He was 78.
An architect and designer known for his sense of fun, his elegant taste, and his leadership in the Alcoholics Anonymous community, Bruce graduated from Nichols School and Princeton. He subsequently earned a master’s degree in architecture from Penn.
In the early 1970s, he served as Buffalo’s urban-design coordinator. He continued his career in New York City, Newport, R.I., and California’s Silicon Valley, where he was known for designing two medical buildings for Kaiser Permanente. In Buffalo, his legacy included rescuing five connected, brick tenement-style houses. The 1888 Romanesque buildings had intact porches and wrought-iron-trimmed archways but were neglected and filled with debris and stench.
When he retired, Bruce focused his energy on the AA community, mentoring young men in sobriety and serving on the board of directors of the Clare Foundation in Los Angeles and Cazenovia Recovery Systems in Buffalo, both major recovery centers.
As an uncle beloved for his warmth and sense of humor, Bruce made people comfortable. Around him, all laughed. The class sends sympathy to Bruce’s older brothers, Newton and Theodore.