Bertram F. Given, 88; Appliance Innovator

Bertram F. “Bert” Given, who developed the Waste King garbage disposal six decades ago and later became active in charitable causes, has died. He was 88.

Given died July 7 in Ashland, Ore., while visiting relatives. He lived in Brentwood. The cause of death was heart failure, his family said.

Born in El Paso, Given grew up in Los Angeles, honing his fascination with machines and engineering at his father’s Vernon-based Given Machinery Co. He studied architecture at UC Berkeley but dropped out in 1939 to join his father in the business.

Attuned to what homemakers wanted in the kitchens of the new houses proliferating during the postwar boom in Southern California, he began working on a way to get rid of garbage.

What he came up with was the Waste King garbage disposal, one of the first appliances of its kind. In 1946, he established Given Manufacturing Co., also based in Vernon, to build the devices, which quickly became a must-have item for any new kitchen and many old ones as well.

In his continuing study of household needs, Given decided that a way to hide dirty dishes and sanitize them was almost as important as getting rid of food scraps. So he added dishwashers to his line. Later came barbecue grills and cooking ranges.

By 1957, the brand had become so popular that he renamed his company Waste King Corp.

The next year, when annual sales topped $17.5 million, he acquired Chicago-based Cribben & Saxton Co., which made ranges, space heaters, dryers and dishwashers marketed under the Universal brand. By 1960, combined sales totaled more than $37 million.

What women wanted in kitchens, he told The Times in 1966, was “brightness, cleanability, modernity ... quality and durability” and automation, as long as it was quiet and dependable.

Among the future kitchen items he envisioned 40 years ago were beverage-dispensing centers, moving shelves, closed-circuit television for monitoring yards and the nursery, secondary refrigerators, phone centers where one could prepare food and talk on the phone at the same time, and portable blenders, disposals and barbecues.

Given sold Waste King Corp. to Norris Industries, which incorporated his appliances into its Thermidor brand, in 1968. He remained with Norris until 1972, when he formed an investment partnership.

An indefatigable worker for the American Jewish Committee, Given served on its board and helped raise funds for its projects. He also helped organize events sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, now called the National Conference for Community and Justice.

Given was also on the boards of various other groups, including Goodwill Industries, the United Way and the Young Presidents Organization.

He was widowed twice: by the death of his wife of 33 years, the former Naomi “Nan” Grossman, in 1972, and by the death of his second wife, Kayla Bacharach, in 1987. He is survived by his wife of 15 years, the former Buff Brazy; three children from his first marriage, Judy Israel, Robert and John; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Aug. 2 at Leo Baeck Temple, 1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Instead of flowers, the family has asked that contributions be made to the American Jewish Committee.