We had just heard the news of a Bruce's passing---and acknowledge that his wife has lost her loving husband, his children have lost their father, the grand kids their grandfather, the brother lost, but I and others have lost a dear friend.
I have know Bruce for close to twenty years and our families were intertwined--we celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, we went to dinner often and went back to our 'snow-bird' existence in Chicago or PA and NJ.
In AZ we golfed with other neighbors--George and Mike and he always pared the round. We would never look for errant balls because Bruce was so adept at finding other lost balls. Every year I left with a gross of Titlest balls and kiddingly want me to summarize the difference between and NXT, DT Distance and Pro V1--I cannot tell the difference--and do not really care, But to remember the time on the course and a beer after is something I have lost and want back.
Bruce was the college professor, the Doctor of Finance who came from Scarsdale, NY and graduated from Princeton. I was a self-employed printer from Chicago-- from a family of 7 kids, but my name was John Witherspoon--and he was intrigued by the namesake of the first president of Princeton. Really he never cared, yet would remind me of his annual visits to his Alma Mater and the hall that bears our name.
All seniors men get different but he was always the one to keep up his exercise--rowing or swimming his laps--don't ever interrupt him because he needed to record his times and compare them to others for 25000 meters or 70 laps. He was know at the community gym as a serious guy.
He experienced a set back with the 'valley fever' and then that which tore apart his lung--his ability to run in the desert. He might have golfed only 9 holes not 18 but he always kept pushing--looking for that program
that would help an 80 year old. Especially when he promised them--'if they gave him a new lung he would run by the hospital the next year in its marathon.' He fought for that.
Bruce had many friends--from his school days and was starting to see then pass in the last few years--we all realize our vulnerabilities. He was a private guy --he never showed me the secret of successfully working options--i hope the kids grasped this technique successfully.
As he was waiting to get his lung I should have visited. When he and Peg had the big house out on the 7 acres we should have gone over. We last talked and he said 'I guess I won't see you' --I should have gone up to visit. I did promise to go and drive him from NJ to AZ when he could--but it is a trip lost in time.
I really wonder how the Syracuse gods of basketball will fare without his cheering, his following the team. He looked forward to a March Madness board meeting that coincided with the tournament in Madison Square Garden and a few beers with his sons. Remember to put a little 'Orange' with him on his final trip,
Bruce was my friend and i will miss him almost as much as you all.
Judy and John Witherspoon
