Bruce Givner

November 16, 1950 - October 23, 2025 Bruce Givner was born on November 16, 1950, in Lorain, Ohio, to Sonia Ann "Sunny" Givner and "Papa" Eugene Givner. The eldest of three children, Bruce was a brilliant, if unruly, child. He enjoyed asking his mother to quiz him on dictionary entries and leveraging his logophilia to obnoxiously correct his middle school teachers' pronunciation. Bruce wistfully recalled staying up late on Christmas eve by the window with his BB gun hoping to spy Santa Claus. All of which he referred to as: "age-appropriate behavior." In his youth Bruce worked with his grandfather, father, and uncles at Givner's Luggage and Jewelry. 

When Bruce matriculated at UCLA his entire family moved West with him, in part to ensure his father, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Bruce was 8, would receive the best care at the local VA hospital. At UCLA Bruce delighted in watching his Bruins basketball team win countless games with the great Coach Wooden. 

In the summer following his junior year Bruce became a footnote in history. On the night of June 16, 1972, during his internship with the Democratic National Committee in Washington D.C., Bruce stayed late at the office in the Watergate Building making long-distance phone calls. Unbeknownst to him, a group of burglars waited impatiently across the street for the lights to go out. When Bruce finally left just after midnight to grab a burger from Howard Johnson's with security guard, Frank Wills, the burglars broke into the building and, later, were arrested by the police. As the Columbia Law School News headline later put it, "If Not for Him, Nixon Might Still Be President." In 2019 Bruce published a book about his experience, "My Watergate Scandal Tell-All: How I Unwittingly Caused this Historic Event."

Although Bruce often said his dream was to "be Bruce Lee," he received his undergraduate degree in history with the ambition of becoming a professor - at least until a mentor patiently explained the pecuniary realities of that profession. Instead Bruce turned his talents towards the law, receiving his JD from Columbia University in 1976 and his LLM from NYU in 1977. At school during a seminar featuring lawyers from different practice types, Bruce settled on tax law after observing how happy - and happily married - all of those attorneys were relative to the disgruntled - and divorced - lawyers in other fields. 

Following graduation, Bruce began his long, successful career in tax law. As a consummate salesman and eloquent orator, Bruce quickly became one of his firm's rainmakers. By injecting his contagious humor and incisive wit into his speeches Bruce earned a reputation as the funniest tax lawyer in Southern California - an admittedly low bar. 

After one such speech Bruce met one of the greatest joys of his life: his future wife and eventual law partner, Kathleen Graham. Despite his unconventional approach to romance, which included bringing Kathy to visit a client in prison for their third date, Bruce won her heart and married her on December 19, 1982 - an enduring surprise to no one more than Bruce himself.

Bruce and Kathy lived in Bel Air Crest with their two children, Matthew and Alexandra. Bruce was an adoring and (over-) protective father, whose happiest and proudest moments were spending time with his children at school, karate classes, musical theater performances, comedy shows, ski trips, Hawaiian holidays, European cruises, and quiet family dinners at home. 

In 1994 Bruce established his own law firm, Bruce Givner, APC, at which both his wife and mother worked for many years. Fifteen years later he founded Givner & Kaye, APC, with his long-time partner and honorary son, Owen Kaye. Over the course of his nearly 50 years practicing law Bruce authored just under 150 articles in professional journals, 18 chapters in CEB treatises, and five books published by the American Institute of CPAs and/or the California CPA society. Bruce was a member of multiple Boards of Trustees for organizations including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Arthritis Foundation, the UCLA Alumni Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the LA County Bar Association. He mentored countless young lawyers and accountants, many of whom credit him with shaping their professional lives.

In 2022 Bruce was diagnosed with leukemia and, despite a successful bone marrow transplant, he ultimately suffered from complications related to his illness. Bruce passed away peacefully on October 23, 2025, surrounded by his family - exactly ten years to the day after the passing of his beloved mother, Sunny.

We will miss Bruce dearly for his role as devoted husband, doting father, loving brother, caring uncle, and generous friend. Bruce is survived by his wife, Kathy; his children, Matthew and Alex; his son-in-law, Michael; and his sisters, Debra and Lisa.