Bruce G. Sharky

Bruce G. Sharky, 82, of Baton Rouge passed away peacefully, with his family at his side on Saturday, September 16, 2023. Bruce was born July 10, 1941, in Los Angeles, California. He earned his undergraduate degree (1965) and master's degrees (1970) in landscape architecture from the University of California at Berkely. He married his beloved wife Nola on April 2, 1966. He worked professionally in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Winnipeg, joined the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. during the design and construction of the 800-mile oil pipeline project and was co-founder of the first private landscape firm in Anchorage, Alaska, Land Design North, for 14 years prior to joining the faculty at Louisiana State University in 1990, in Baton Rouge. Bruce served as the director of the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture (RRSLA) until 2001, and as a professor until his retirement in 2021. Bruce's dedication to his family and his profession and his undivided care of the landscape architecture students at LSU, continued throughout his career and retirement, resulting in his well-deserved designation as one of the RRSLA's 'Legacy Professors.' He was a gifted artist and inspired many students to become landscape architects through the passion he showed for the profession and the RRSLA program, and generously shared his time to any student or faculty member in need. In 1990, Professor Sharky was honored as a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects for his years of service and contributions to the profession, having served as an ASLA National Trustee and Executive Committee Vice Presidency positions both before and after coming to LSU. Throughout his life, Bruce enjoyed hiking and sketching, and travel with his family and students. Bruce led study programs to Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, and China, seminars in Chile, was a visiting scholar in Japan and had two Fulbright Fellowships to Mexico and Portugal. His RRSLA undergraduate studios worked with the National Park Service to develop alternate plans for a backcountry camp at Denali National Park in Alaska, and he also led a collaborative agricultural and ecological tourism studio in China. During retirement he continued to participate remotely in student critiques in China and a studio class at the University of Austin, Texas. Bruce was also an author of four published books on subjects as varied as professional practice, grading and drainage, introduction to landscape architecture, the theory and use of shadows in creating memorable outdoor spaces and most recently, nature-based design in landscape architecture. Bruce befriended many faculty members from other disciplines, and often participated in collaborative projects with other faculty in the LSU College of Art + Design. He loved to walk across the LSU Campus or spend time in coffee shops and interact with others and to share his passion for making life better for everyone. Bruce will be dearly missed by all whose lives he touched. Bruce is survived by his wife, Nola Cruz Sharky, and children, Aaron Louis Sharky, Ileana Rebecca Sharky and Rie Marie and Valentin Laticevschi, grandchild Leo Laticevschi, sister Elaine Hochhauser, nephew Aron and Lauren Hochhauser, their children, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents Sophie Klein and Louis Sharky. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Steele Burden Memorial Orangerie at the LSU Ag Center Botanic Gardens at 4560 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge for a Celebration of Life on Friday, November 3rd, from 5-8 p.m. Family, friends, colleagues and former students are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the CLL Leukemia Cancer or to the LSU Bruce Sharky Design Week Fellow Fund or LSU Bruce Sharky RRSLA Scholarship Fund.