Very sad at this news. Bruce was my boyhood friend at Fishinger Road Elementry.
We would play basketball in Craig Stout's driveway and he taught me the "give and go." He would touch his nose as a sign, I would pass him the ball and he would pass it back as I moved for the layup.
He also developed the "crossbuck" play for our Fishinger football team, fake to one back while handing off to the other in the oposite direction, It was like magic to me. How to did Bruce know so much about sports?? He was my hero!!
Bruce moved away and I saw him only a couple of times after that. He was a great guy with and impish smile. I am sorry to hear of his passing but he has never left my thoughts from time to time. My condolences to his wife and family.
Nice post, Randy. I, too, have fond memories of Bruce. In fact, while Bruce left for Rocky River for his Junior year, his family moved to Brecksville a year later for his Senior year. My family moved to Brecksville for my senior year, and Bruce and I had to make quite an adjustment. Coming from a class of 500 at UA, to a school that had less than 500 in in 3 grades made it difficult. Bruce was the starting quarterback at Brecksville, played point guard in Basketball and jumped 6 feet in high jump at the State track championship. I visited him at Miami many timesduring our freshman year. Yet, another good one is gone too soon.
When I first arrived in UA in 3rd grade ( Fishinger ) , Bruce and I became good friends and have remained so for all of these years. Relatively speaking , Bruce was small in stature ( early on ) with a Herculean Body and a highly competitive spirit in literally everything that he pursued ( sports , in particular.....golf, baseball, football, diving, swimming, basketball, tiddlywinks , whatever....he competed !! ) . He was the first Student Council President at Hastings Junior High . We all ( guys and gals ) missed him when he moved to Cleveland area during High School....he was extremely popular and very adventurous/ fun-loving . He married his high school sweetheart , Sue, and they led a happy , successful life together ( he retired in his 50 's ) . He loved to return to UA for reunions and was always fondly received by all.......a truly special guy ...
Our quintessential 8th grade quarterback is a terrible loss. Randy, Glenn and I were happily discussing him at our most recent summer get together and Glenn pointed out his home place to me as we drove around and scoured our memories for the high spots of our shared history. He is for me an indelible memory of a mobile and responsive face with a graceful natural athleticism and a gentle, penetrating presence which seemed always to be positive.
I never heard him say anything harsh, hurtful or self serving but he could always arouse my competitive team spirit and command the field although he had trouble seeing over the linemen. I loved the passes he threw rarely and I respected him greatly.
His loss is a kick in the teeth and he will be missed by very many people. The world will have a lesser gleam without his wit and his style.
Randy Walker (Randy Walker)
Very sad at this news. Bruce was my boyhood friend at Fishinger Road Elementry.
We would play basketball in Craig Stout's driveway and he taught me the "give and go." He would touch his nose as a sign, I would pass him the ball and he would pass it back as I moved for the layup.
He also developed the "crossbuck" play for our Fishinger football team, fake to one back while handing off to the other in the oposite direction, It was like magic to me. How to did Bruce know so much about sports?? He was my hero!!
Bruce moved away and I saw him only a couple of times after that. He was a great guy with and impish smile. I am sorry to hear of his passing but he has never left my thoughts from time to time. My condolences to his wife and family.
Randy Walker
Dan DeGood
Nice post, Randy. I, too, have fond memories of Bruce. In fact, while Bruce left for Rocky River for his Junior year, his family moved to Brecksville a year later for his Senior year. My family moved to Brecksville for my senior year, and Bruce and I had to make quite an adjustment. Coming from a class of 500 at UA, to a school that had less than 500 in in 3 grades made it difficult. Bruce was the starting quarterback at Brecksville, played point guard in Basketball and jumped 6 feet in high jump at the State track championship. I visited him at Miami many timesduring our freshman year. Yet, another good one is gone too soon.
Glenn Ferraro (Glenn R. Ferraro)
When I first arrived in UA in 3rd grade ( Fishinger ) , Bruce and I became good friends and have remained so for all of these years. Relatively speaking , Bruce was small in stature ( early on ) with a Herculean Body and a highly competitive spirit in literally everything that he pursued ( sports , in particular.....golf, baseball, football, diving, swimming, basketball, tiddlywinks , whatever....he competed !! ) . He was the first Student Council President at Hastings Junior High . We all ( guys and gals ) missed him when he moved to Cleveland area during High School....he was extremely popular and very adventurous/ fun-loving . He married his high school sweetheart , Sue, and they led a happy , successful life together ( he retired in his 50 's ) . He loved to return to UA for reunions and was always fondly received by all.......a truly special guy ...
Dan Sayers (Daniel G. Sayers)
Our quintessential 8th grade quarterback is a terrible loss. Randy, Glenn and I were happily discussing him at our most recent summer get together and Glenn pointed out his home place to me as we drove around and scoured our memories for the high spots of our shared history. He is for me an indelible memory of a mobile and responsive face with a graceful natural athleticism and a gentle, penetrating presence which seemed always to be positive.
I never heard him say anything harsh, hurtful or self serving but he could always arouse my competitive team spirit and command the field although he had trouble seeing over the linemen. I loved the passes he threw rarely and I respected him greatly.
His loss is a kick in the teeth and he will be missed by very many people. The world will have a lesser gleam without his wit and his style.