Alfred J. Torrance, the retired executive vice president of precious-metal refiner Hoover & Strong and a World War II veteran, died in Cheektowaga, N.Y., May 1, 2003, following a brief illness. He was 88 years old.

Born in Easton, Pa., Torrance was the valedictorian of his class at Easton High School and worked for the U.S. Postal Service before joining the Army during World War II. Torrance went through officers’ candidate school and saw heavy combat in Europe as a member of the 103rd Infantry Division. He helped liberate a German concentration camp and by war’s end had risen to the rank of major.

After the war, Torrance moved to Buffalo and began working for Hoover & Strong in the sales department, occasionally going on road trips. He rose quickly through the ranks and was elected a director and then promoted to treasurer. After several years, he was elected executive vice president.

In 1979, the company relocated to Richmond, Va. Although Torrance was considering retiring, he offered to move with the company to help with the transition. He stayed on full time until 1982, then worked part time for a few more years until retiring to Sarasota, Fla., in 1985.

In 1996, Torrance and his wife, Anna, moved back to Buffalo to be near their children. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, three children, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.