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IRVING TOBOCMAN (1933-2017)
Growing up in Detroit, Tobocman developed an artistic flair at a young age, along with a love of music and literature. He earned his degree in architecture from the University of Michigan in 1956, where his professional papers are now archived. Over the course of his career, Tobocman designed more than 400 commercial and residential projects. His first was a set of apartments near Six Mile and Greenfield roads in northwest Detroit. “We actually lived there for several years,” recalled his daughter, Susan Tobocman. “There were two apartment buildings, and my grandmother owned one of them.”
In 1967, the family moved to Franklin Village, where Tobocman built a home on a two-acre wooded parcel—one of the first modernist houses in the area. After his children, David and Susan, grew up and moved away, he relocated to a house he designed in downtown Birmingham. Tobocman’s younger brother, Alfred, served as the building contractor on many of his projects. Tobocman, who at 84 was still working full time, was killed in 2017 when a teen's car ran a red light in Bloomfield Township MI.
Sources include Contemporary Michigan: Iconic Houses at the Epicenter of Modernism by Peter Forguson, with photography by Jason Grube, James Haefner, Balthazar Korab, and others, facilitated by Catherine Cramer.
1958 - The Wolf and Esther Snyder House, 1280 Strathcona Drive, Palmer Woods Historic District, Detroit MI. The Snyder's were Detroit Public School teachers who were close friends of the architect's parents. Designed while still in college, the house was built during Tobocman's apprenticeship with King & Lewis Architects, where he served as chief designer.
1958 - The Lewis House, Farmington MI. Designed while with King & Lewis. Unsure if built.
1959 - The Elkin House, Bloomfield Township MI. Remodeled in 1975. Status unknown.
1960 - The Leonard and Helen Siskind House, 2315 Vina Court, Bay City MI. A moonlight commission while at King & Lewis.
1962 - The Martin and Ruth Jaffe House, 102 Boehringer Court., Bay City MI. Designed as a moonlight commission during Tobocman’s tenure as chief designer at King & Lewis Architects of Detroit, this was the first of Tobocman’s houses not to feature a combination of both flat and low gabled roofs The house features a suspended barrel-vaulted pavilion, clerestory windows, a dramatic skylit entry, and a dome-lit reception area. The Jaffes loved the house so much that, in the late 1980s, they called upon Tobocman to design their winter retreat in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sold in 2022 to Tym Hanson and Nathan Schmidt. Sold in 2025.
1962 - The Melvin and Lillian Taylor Cohen House, 28590 River Crest Drive, Southfield MI. Sold in 2022 to Monica Gyorke and Scott Michalski.
1962 - The Dr. Leonard and Mrs. Joana Crane House, 24355 Santa Barbara, Southfield MI. Sold in 2023 to Tracy Tilley, who remodeled it. Photos by Tracy Tilley.
1963 - The Hagen and Esther Hedfied House, 34245 Quaker Valley Road, Farmington Hills MI. On and off market several times since 1996. Sold in 2002 to Alan Buczynski.
1964 - The Joe and Nancy Jacobson House, 885 Charrington Road, Bloomfield Hills MI. The house includes travertine flooring, a reception area with Tobocman-designed furniture, and a living room with large art niches, a built-in wet bar, and a full wall of glass topped with clerestory windows facing a central courtyard. A hallway leads to the bedroom, bath, and service wing, where the flooring changes to white terrazzo.Joe and Nancy remain the home’s original and only owners.
1964 - The Irving and Lois Tobocman House #1, 30320 LaBrea Court, Franklin MI. Remodeled. Sold in 2010 to Daniel Finkiewicz.
1965 - The Ben and Lorraine Pivnick House, 31380 West Stonewood Court, Farmington Hills MI. Sold in 2017 for the first time to Ryan Shedd. Interior photos by Peter Forguson.
1966 - The Charles and Linda Nida House, 27880 Lakehills, Franklin MI. House updated in 2005 by the Tobocman Brothers, Irving and his brother Alfred. Sold in 2004 to James and Vera Gell. Sold in 2019 to Linda T. Michaels.
1967 - The Rosenthal House, 31416 West Stonewood Court, Farmington Hills MI. Next door to the Pivnick house. Sold in 2021 to Nathan and Kristi Kelly.
1967 - The Harry Shecter House. Status unknown.
1967 - The David and Carole Caplan House, 7381 Mohansic Drive, Bloomfield Hills MI. Sold in 1981 to Stephen Harlow and Victoria Manix.
1967 - The Sidney and Eileen Bluestone House, 23270 Laurel Valley Drive, Southfield MI. Sold in 2018 to Brian Coch.
1967 - The Irving Tobocman House, 29252 Summerwood Road, Farmington Township MI. Sold in 2025.
1968 - The Nathan and Shirley Schlafer House, 228 Lakewood Drive, Bloomfield MI. Sold in 2001 to Michael and Laurie Ann Brochert.
1974 - The Henry and Shirley Oberon House. Designed by his brother, Alfred Tobocman. Status unknown.
1981 - The Sam and Alma Catsman House, 1087 Maple Way, Harbor Springs MI. Sold in 2014 to Murray and Julie Cotter.
1981 - The David and Gloria Leader House, 3350 Pine Estates Drive, West Bloomfied Township MI. Deeded to Gloria Leader in 2023. Deeded to son Nathan Leader.
1983 - The Martin and Irene Bader House, 2810 West. Long Lake Road, West Bloomfield MI. Sold around 2021 to Rabab Binno. Destroyed.
1987 - The Larry and Faylene Owen House, 6180 Heathfield Drive, East Lansing MI. Destroyed in 2002.
1992 - The Michael and Iris Lewiston House, 745 West Maple Street, Birmingham MI. Sold in 1987. Destroyed.
2001 - The Henry and Judy Velleman Vacation House, 453 East Bluff Drive, Harbor Springs MI. Sold to Ronald Fenech. Sold in 2015 to William and Sally Martin.
2006 - The Edan and Hilary King House, 855 Ridgewood Road, Bloomfield Hills MI.
Sources: Contemporary Michigan: Iconic Houses at the Epicenter of Modernism by Peter Forguson. Photographers Jason Grube, James Haefner, Balthazar Korab, and others. Facilitation by Catherine Cramer.