The following notice was posted on the St Michael’s Episcopal Church’s website.
“Dear Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news that our brother in Christ, Bruce Hesselbach, died of a heart attack yesterday evening. Bruce was 66 years old. Bruce and his wife Carol, faithful members of St. Michael’s for many years, recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Bruce’s death is a shock to all of us.
Please keep Carol and Bruce’s family very much in your prayers. We will let you know once we schedule the funeral service.
Yours in Christ,
Mary”
…
Bruce was a writer and member of Write Action. He came to the open readings on third Fridays, where he shared chapters of his fantasy novels. These readings on his part, wherein his characters got flustered by the precarious situations they got themselves in, always elicited laughter from the listeners. I was always glad to see Bruce come in the door on open reading night, as it meant we would be given a chance to laugh.
Bruce was gently encouraging to other writers and a friendly presence at the readings. He will be missed.
He also was a fan of James Branch Cabell, who wrote the novel Jurgen:A Comedy of Justice, and introduced me to this author, for which I am grateful.
Here is what is written about Bruce on Good Reads.
“Originally from Long Island, Bruce Hesselbach has lived in Newfane, Vermont, since 1989. He is the author of a steampunk novel, Perpetual Motion (Cogwheel Press 2013) and a hiking memoir, High Ledges, Green Mountains (Bondcliff Books 2005). An avid hiker, he has climbed 480 different mountains and has hiked Vermont’s 270 mile Long Trail. To date 62 of his poems have been published in the small presses. As a member of the Londonderry Poets since 1991, he has contributed to their two anthologies: Blackberry Picking (1994) and Chancing the Weather (2001). He has also written seven published short stories and one scheduled to be published in the future. ”
– Rolf
