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Cameron Bruce

17 January 1992 – 13 September 2010

 

Obituary | Donations | A Note of Thanks | Remembrances

 

Obituary

Cameron Lewis Bruce
17 January 1992 – 13 September 2010

Cameron Bruce died in a tragic accident outside his dorm in Kingston, Ontario on Monday.
A 2010 graduate of Staples High School, Cameron was a first year student in engineering at Queen’s University in Kingston.

In his short life, Cameron left a lasting impact on those who knew him, and on the larger Westport community. He was an accomplished musician, playing trumpet in the Norwalk Youth Symphony for five years, where he was the Assistant Principal Trumpet in the 2009–10 season. He attended New England Music Camp in Sidney, Maine, for four years, where he formed lasting bonds with musicians from around the country. With high school musicians from throughout Fairfield County, he was a member of the Youth Band for the United Nations in 2008 and 2009.

Cameron was an active participant in the Staples symphonic orchestra, band, and jazz band, and played taps at Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies in Westport and at the Field of Flags tribute at Saugatuck Congregational Church in June of this year. 

Before taking up the trumpet, Cameron played the violin and attended the Mark O’Connor fiddle camp in Tennessee for two years.

He was a member of the Staples varsity swim team for all four of his years at Staples. In his senior year, Cameron was a captain of the team, an Academic All American, and a Staples Scholar Athlete.

Cameron swam the backstroke, breast stroke, and individual medley, and was a finalist in both FCIAC and state LL competition in all four years. He swam with the Westport Weston Family Y Water WRAT team since elementary school.

In 2010 he received the Edward T. Bedford award for Outstanding Youth at the Family Y.

At Staples, Cameron was an AP Scholar with Distinction, a Commended 2010 National Merit Scholar, and he received the Staples Science Department Award for Outstanding Achievement in Forensics.

Cameron was active in the Westport community, as a Deacon at Saugatuck Congregational Church, and volunteering his time and musical talents at the Senior Center.

Cameron is survived by his sister Margot, his parents Linda and Iain Bruce, and his grandmother Shirley Bruce.

Visiting hours will be at Saugatuck Congregational Church on Friday September 24, 4:00-8:00PM. A funeral will be held at Saugatuck Congregational Church on Saturday September 25 at 2:00PM. A celebration of Cameron’s life will be held during the Thanksgiving weekend in November.

Donations

Cameron’s family has established two scholarships in his name:

• Cameron Bruce Scholarship for Trumpet
  New England Music Camp
  8 Goldenrod Lane
  Sidney, ME 04330
  www.nemusiccamp.com
• Staples Tuition Grants
  P.O. Box 5159
  Westport, CT 06881-5159
  www.staplestuitiongrants.org

Additional scholarships have also been established by:

• Norwalk Youth Symphony Memorial Scholarship Fund
  c/o Sarah Watkins, Executive Director
  Norwalk Youth Symphony
  71 East Avenue, Suite N
  Norwalk, CT 06851
  www.norwalkyouthsymphony.org
• The Cameron Bruce Young Engineer Award
  The Discovery Museum
  4450 Park Avenue
  Bridgeport, CT 06604
  www.discoverymuseum.org

Note of Thanks

Westportnow.com: Bruce Family Grateful for Support

Remembrances

Click here to download the program from Cameron's service. (PDF)

The Staples Swimming, Diving and Water Polo Team website has posted dozens of wonderful photos of Cameron — click here to see them.

Dan Woog's great blog, 06880: Where Westport Meets the World features Kevin Copeland's heartfelt eulogy of his best friend:
http://06880danwoog.com/2010/09/28/kevin-remembers-cameron/

WestportNow.com: Town Mourns Death of Student

 

The members of Saugatuck Congregational Church wish to extend their thanks to our Building Manager, David Doyle, and our Office Manager, Marcia Harrington, for all their hard work over these past weeks.