World-Renowned Architect Irving Tobocman Killed In Bloomfield Township Crash

BLOOMFIELD TWP. (WWJ) - Renowned architect Irving Tobocman is being remembered following a tragic car crash that took his life.

Tobocman, known for introducing sleek modern designs to metro Detroit and the world, was killed in a car crash this past weekend in Bloomfield Township.

Tobocman's work is behind a number of homes and buildings still standing. His buildings are known for their exterior with painted white brick and flat roofs, white walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows. One peer referred to Tobocman as a modern master, having come of age during that era of architecture.

While most of his work is seen in Oakland County's upscale suburbs, one of his first assignments after graduating from the University of Michigan in the mid 1950's was a row of apartments at 6 Mile and Greenfield roads in northwest Detroit -- the first flat-roofed contemporary apartments in the city.

Last Friday, Tobocman was driving through the intersection of Telegraph and Lone Pine in Bloomfield Township where he collided with another car that ran a red light.He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 84-years-old. The driver of the other vehicle, a 16-year-old girl, and a passenger were also injured in the crash.

Funeral services are being held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield.