Remembering Bruce

Bruce was such a dear friend and co-worker. Besides being such a joy to work with, I think we probably shared the same wicked sense of humor and that's why we got along so well. At Beverly Park Elementary School where Bruce and I worked, some of the staff had our own 'Poet's Club' and we'd meet on Friday's at the Burien Black Angus for a beverage or two. We'd recite our poems, with apologies to the professional Poets, and sometimes we were late heading for home. One such late afternoon Bruce kept saying he had to leave, but got distracted with our poems and we decided he would need a 'pink slip' signed by Mary to get back into school the following Monday. Our school pink slips were for discipline infractions, to be signed at home and returned before the student/counselor in this case, could come back to school.

I still have that 'pink slip' written on a Stuart Anderson Black Angus napkin. It says "Mary, Bruce is late because we begged him to stay while we watched the naked fire dancer and the aid crew didn't finish resuscitating Bruce until 5:30. They managed to apply salve to most of the burned areas but as he insisted in joining her in the 'poi balls' number, there may be permanent damage. We did the best we could!" Pink slip signed by Reine, Robin, Paul, Becky, Ann, Janyce, Kent, Rita, Eileen and Dan. "Mary, please sign and return." "Wife's signature" Mary signed it and wrote under her signature, "Can't wait to meet this crew."Bruce returned it to school and I still have and treasure that 'pink slip.'

After I retired in 1993, I wrote Bruce a note on some children's stationery that I had. It was decorated on the stationery and on the envelope with colorful crayons. I printed the note phonetically and with some of the letters backward. I also used crayons. I signed it 'your friend' I did not put my name anywhere on it. Bruce couldn't figure out who sent him that 'formal' letter and he asked all the staff and only one person, Judy Maury, our sixth grade teacher guessed it was me. That did it, the battle was on. I received an official looking letter saying that I was to return to 'the home' immediately before stern action was taken against me. He said he would sign me out of said 'home' if I would promise to be on my best behavior.

I have a call on my telephone answering machine from Bruce calling me from the 'Golden Pond Rest Home' and asks if I will call him either at his office or at the institution and let him know where I am so they can pick me up.

On October 11, 2006, I made arrangements with Bruce for a dear friend and me to be part of Bruce's group for the Underground Tour. HUGE mistake on my part, during the first part of the tour when Bruce gathers everyone around the bar after we've gone underground and he stands behind it to make a few announcements, he announced that "a person I know is here with our group and she has been let out of the home for the day for this tour, but be reassured that she has a chaperone with her to keep an eye on her and she is harmless." The tour was on and so was the battle. I have a picture of the three of us on the tour just before the BIG announcement.