MCCARTY, BRUCE - age 92, of Knoxville, passed away Saturday January 5, 2013. He was founder and senior designer (retired 2010) at McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects of Knoxville, Tennessee. During a career that has spanned more than a half-century, he had designed some of the city's iconic landmarks, and had been the city's most dedicated champion of modern architecture. Buildings designed or co-designed by Bruce include the Lawson McGhee Library, Knoxville City County Building, University of Tennessee Humanities Complex, Clarence Brown Theatre, and University of Tennessee Art and Architecture Building, which he co-designed with his son Doug, the Knoxville waterfront, the Bank of America building and the Ijams Nature Center. Bruce was also the master architect for the 1982 World's Fair. He was born in South Bend, Indiana, the third of four sons to Earl H. and Hazel B. McCarty. Bruce McCarty was raised in Kenosha and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. His father, Earl McCarty was president of the Nash Motor Company during the 1930s.
Bruce attended Princeton University in the early 1940s, where he studied sculpture under noted sculptor and boxer, Joe Brown. Following the outbreak of World War II, he left Princeton and joined the US Army Air Force. He first arrived in Knoxville for military training in 1943, and met his wife of 67 years, Julia Elizabeth Hayes on a blind date. He was later stationed in California as a P-38 pilot. On April 5, 1945 Bruce married Elizabeth Hayes of Knoxville in Santa Rosa, California and they returned to Knoxville. They have three children; Bruce Hayes McCarty married to Hope Kahler of Reston, VA, Douglas Hayes McCarty married to Jane Chambers of Knoxville and Sarah Elizabeth McCarty married to Richard Barrett of Santa Fe, NM; six grandchilden, Lane Elizabeth McCarty and Lauren Lee McCarty of Knoxville, Ryan Hayes McCarty of Shrewsbury, PA, Sarah McCarty Matzen of Hermosa Beach, CA, Roger Kahler II of Arlington, VA and Krissy Kahler of Reston, VA and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Stuart McCarty and wife Mary. His two older brothers predeceased him, Von McCarty and Macyln McCarty who is survived by his wife Marj McCarty. Bruce had many honors over the years, including: 1959 Certificate of Award for Outstanding Civic Activities from Gulf State AIA, 1965-70 Board of Metropolitan Planning Commission (Knoxville TN), 1970-90 Who's Who in the United States, 1982 McCarty Bullock Holsaple receives Mayor's Award for 1982 World's Fair, 2000 Volunteer of the Year Award from the University of Tennessee, 2011 Silver Medal from the University of Tennessee Faculty and Tau Sigma Delta of the College of Architecture and Design, to name a few. A celebration of Bruce's life will take place at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 8, at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends following the service in the Barron Hall. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, it was Bruce's desire to make contributions to the East Tennessee Community Design Center (ETCDC) at 1300 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917 (865-525-9945) Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences at www.rosemortuary.com.