Timothy Garven ’70

Our multitalented classmate Tim died Nov. 30, 2025, after a long and courageous battle with lung cancer.

One of seven siblings, Tim came to Princeton from Edina-Morningside High School in Minnesota, where he had excelled athletically in hockey, baseball, and football. He was also an Olympic-qualified speedskater. Before leaving Princeton after sophomore year, he planned to major in psychology. After returning home, Tim joined his family’s stationery business. He combined artistic creativity — designing many of the company’s products — with strong business acumen, managing relationships with Asian suppliers.

Tim’s life was marked by profound personal loss. Of his four children, he lost daughter Britta at age 25 and son Cory to cancer in 2025. The children’s mother, Deena, died of ALS.

Tim later married Alyona Mallayeva, who is Ukrainian. Their relationship bridged languages and cultures. Alyona did not speak English, and Tim did not speak Ukrainian. She spoke Italian; he spoke Spanish. They found ways to communicate — and made it work. Alyona remembers Tim for his intellect, curiosity, humor, remarkable memory, and his encouragement of others. We extend our deepest sympathies to her and to his surviving sons, Casey and Bryan.