Bruce passed away Saturday evening on December 26, 2020 after an abrupt and unexpected encounter with COVID-19, seven months after the loss of his loving wife of 61 years, Mary Tober. Bruce and Mary resided on Lake Oconee in Eatonton, Georgia and had split time in recent years between the lake and a residence next to their daughter, Karen Tober Bost, in Peachtree City, Georgia.
Bruce and Mary had two children, Alan Tober married to Karen Pinkos Tober living in Arlington, Virginia; Karen Tober Bost in Peachtree City; and he is lovingly survived by four grandchildren: Emma and Alec Tober, and Mark and Clay Bost.
Bruce is also survived by his younger brother Glenn Tober and his wife Pam, residing in Melbourne, Florida and their three adult sons – Ryan, Mark, and Scott – and their families. Bruce lost his older brother, Jack Randall in 2008 and his wife Pearl in 2012, both living in St. Louis, Missouri.
Bruce was born on April 10, 1935 in Springfield, Illinois where he spent his early childhood and elementary school years. Bruce’s parents, Henry Tober and Molly Brioda Tober, relocated with their family to Clearwater, Florida in the early 1950’s where Bruce attended high school and enjoyed years growing up in and around the waters of Clearwater Bay. Upon graduation from Clearwater High School in 1953 he attended the University of Florida to study Civil Engineering. He left after three years, venturing north to work on iron ore barges in the Great Lakes region and then as a draftsperson at Union Carbide in Charleston, West Virginia.
Bruce returned to Clearwater in 1957 for a construction opportunity on the Ranchette apartments project. He and Mary, also a graduate of CHS, dated and then married on September 14, 1958. Bruce was also drafted in 1958 and served in the US Army, first deploying to Korea to serve in the DMZ for two years, and then later recalled for further service during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. In between deployments, Bruce and Mary moved to St. Louis, Missouri and started their family with Bruce taking a position at Bank Building Corporation.
Bruce’s professional career progressed in commercial building construction starting at the job superintendent level, progressing to regional/national building management, and then a long tenure operating his own commercial contracting business with Mary. Their projects ranged from financial institutions, to motel properties, to medical facilities across the US and moves to GA, FL, MO, NY, TX, OK, IN, including multiple cities and times in several states. They finally settled in the Stone Mountain, Georgia area in the 1970’s and later acquired properties at Lake Oconee and Steinhatchee, Florida to be by the water, their true love.
Bruce always left a positive impression on everyone he met, a result of his calm, kind, and fair nature.
A graveside committal service will be held Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 2:00pm at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, 2853 Sunset Point Road, Clearwater, Florida 33759. (This is an outdoor event, physical distancing will be possible, and but limited attendance is encouraged, by intent.) A more encompassing celebration of life event for Bruce and Mary will be planned when we can all safely travel and gather again, promised.
In lieu of flowers, and to honor the significant challenges that cancer presented Mary’s life, Bruce would like donations to be made to the American Cancer Society or other cancer research organizations.
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