Dear Friends,

I sat at my typewriter for an hour trying to think of a way to start this letter. It hurt so badly that no words would come to me. So, I'll just start out by saying that the hobby and I have lost a dear friend. Bruce Young passed away at home in Lake Havasu City, AZ on November 29th, of lung cancer. I last saw Bruce at the Yuma show last February, and he didn't look sick at all. So this news was a great shock.

Bruce & Margie Young

I first met Bruce in 1971 when a club was forming in San Diego. Right away Wes (my husband) and I "fell for him", because he was such a nice person. Bruce was in the Navy then, so sometimes he would be absent from the meetings when he was out to sea. Many times we would share a table with him at shows, which spiced them up considerably. Bruce always said what he thought, and he had the gift of sizing people up in just a few words: good, bad or in between. After a few years I once asked him, "I would love to know what you really think of me, but I don't suppose you'd ever tell me." He replied instantly, "You're a little squirrely, but ok." I can't add a thing to that!

Bruce married Margie in 1963. They had a semi-whirlwind courtship, marrying within six weeks of meeting. It proved to be a good marriage, and they were a very close couple. Margie wasn't fond of insulators, and she would tease him when he'd buy them. But I never once saw them argue or fight. I once said to Bruce, "I get such a kick out of Margie. She's fun to talk to." His answer, "She's good people." I can't think of higher praise.

The Young's have one son, Michael, who is married to Tia. They have two children, Christopher and Annabelle. Tia told me, "Bruce was the best loving father-in-law 1 could have had."

Bruce Lee Young was born 20 December 1940 in Jamestown, NY. He served in the Navy in Viet Nam, retiring after 26 years as a Senior Chief. After moving to Lake Havasu City in 1994, he worked as a clerk for Radio Shack for ten years. He was highly intelligent, and used to astound us when he'd tell us of some of the very complicated jobs he did for the military. He had a quick mind and a keen, dry sense of humor. He surprised Wes and me once at a show. He sat down next to us and said, "You know, we never see you two socially, just at shows. But Margie and I consider you and Wes our best friends." I almost fell out of my chair, not only because of the wonderful compliment, but because we had always felt the same about them! It's been a great 33-year friendship.

Bruce was 64 when he passed away, and is survived by Margie, his loving wife of 42 years, along with his other family members mentioned above. He belonged to the National Insulator Association, and was a member of the Grand Canyon State Insulator Club, as well as the Lake Havasu Stamp & Coin Club. It doesn't seem possible that we won't see him at future shows. It will never be the same. Margie, please accept the deep sympathy of the hundreds of insulator collectors who knew him. Bruce was good people.

Sincerely, Clarice Gordon