RIP, Bruce

When his wife told me last Saturday that the hospital had decided to withdraw the medication for one thing because it was fighting with the medication for another, I realised that this was the beginning of the end for my friend Bruce. He had heart problems and diabetes and needed dialysis (although for some reason the NHS had never got round to starting that) and had developed dementia. Despite knowing how ill he was, I really didn't expect to get a phone call this morning telling me that he had died in the early hours.

Bruce was a member of Brighton Lions Club and had served two terms as president. He also served for ten years as secretary, possibly the most efficient secretary the club ever had, and was on the District cabinet for several years. He was also a founder member of the International Relations Committee of Brighton Lions Club. That committee was a group of four of us who made day trips to Calais three or four times a year. On the last occasion that Bruce came with us, he realised as we left Folkestone that his passport had expired. On our return, the immigration officer told us, half joking, half serious, not to take him again until he had a new passport. Bruce never did get round to applying for a new passport so his place on future trips was taken by another Lion.

We took Bruce and Jane to Les Lavandes a few years back and had a splendid holiday.



Bruce, I shall miss you. And you can bet that I will be serving on a jury on the day of your funeral.