Bob Ganger died at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy of decades of advocacy and passion for Delray Beach and Gulf Stream’s history and preservation.
According to The Coastal Star, he died at home, one he lovingly restored and saved from demolition, on April 25.
Ganger grew up in the New York City suburbs and attended Yale and Harvard Universities. He was a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves from 1959-65 and had a career as a corporate executive and business consultant. In 1969, he and his father, the elder Robert Ganger, purchased a historic home built by the Vanderbilts in Gulf Stream when it was slated to be destroyed. The younger Ganger moved in after his father died and restored the home based on the plans of the original owner; the process inspired him to write the book “Lila Vanderbilt Webb’s Miradero: Window On An Era.”
The elder Robert was described as “a problem-solver who used persistence, providing classic evidence of how government can be successful,” organizing a “common-sense plan to restore beaches,” according to the Delray Beach Historical Society. The younger Ganger permanently moved down to Gulf Stream in 1991, and when his father died, he donated his records to the Delray Beach Historical Society.
Ganger co-founded the Florida Coalition for Preservation in Delray Beach, which works to protect our coastal communities from overdevelopment. The catalyst for the group’s founding was to fight plans to demolish Briny Breezes; he was successful in this endeavor.
“His leadership and tireless advocacy will be deeply missed by the barrier island communities he served so passionately,” the Florida Coalition for Preservation said in a statement.
Ganger also had a love for his community’s history, serving as president of the Delray Beach Historical Society and vice chair of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. He told the Coastal Star in a 2018 interview, “When you realize a million new people come into the state every couple years, and with no background on who we are, over time the local history gets diluted.”
In lieu of flowers, Ganger’s family asked for donations to be made to the Florida Coalition for Preservation.
