Walter R. Garver, Artist, age 96, died Friday, September 8, 2023 at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.
Born in Medina, NY, Walter graduated from Batavia High School in 1946, and enlisted in the Navy in his senior year. When the war ended in 1948, Walter enlisted in the Air National Guard. and served in active duty stationed at Niagara Falls Air Base through the early 50s, as a meteorologist. His interest in cataloging the weather remained persistent throughout his life.
He had envisioned a career as an illustrator for magazines such as Collier’s but focused his concentration on painting from his own perspective. In 1951, at age 23, he won first prize for oil painting in the annual Western New York Art Exhibition, the youngest artist ever to win the award at the time. He also won Best in Show the next year. Walter continued his quest for knowledge and graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1955, and later returned to attain his Teaching Certificate in 1958. He taught Art history, Drawing, Painting, and Photography from 1958 to 1985 at Amherst High School.
He had one man shows at the Albright Knox Art Gallery, the Chautauqua Art Gallery, Hall of Art in New York City and the More-Rubin Gallery in Buffalo. His works have also been included in group shows with the Buffalo Society of Artists, winning the Gold Medal in 1967 and 1971, the Cooperstown Art Association, winning the Grand Prize in 1973 and 1975 and the Allied Artists Annual Exhibition, winning the Gilmore and Romans Memorial Award in 1994, among several others.
Walter will be laid to rest in Mount Calvary Cemetery, on September 30th at 10:45am.
Excerpted from The Buffalo News, September 17, 2023
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