Requiescat in pace Bruce Manning

An update: A Memorial Service for Bruce will be held on Sunday, August 23rd at Harbor Lawn Cemetery. (1625 Gisler Ave, Costa Mesa, CA) at 1PM

It’s with a heavy heart I pay tribute to my friend Bruce Manning who passed away yesterday afternoon suddenly.  Bruce and I attended the same college in upstate New York but at different times.  He would have been 56 next week. Instead of celebrating his birthday, we’ll be saying goodbye.

Bruce, and it’s hard to speak of him in the past tense, was a top notch public relations professional.  He was tremendously active in a number of chartible organizations.  He had a very successful career in the financial services industry and realized he wanted to pursue his dream of doing journalism.  He was a reporter for OCN and a part-time news reporter/anchor for KFI Radio.

more after the jump:

Bruce and I both graduated from a public relations program at Utica College and would often swap stories of how our beloved PR professor Ray Simon would hold our feet to the fire and made us think through our classwork. 

Bruce was most proud of his children and his family.  His eyes would light up every time he’d talk about each of his children.  He was very pleased with how they were turning out, which of course was a reflection of the parents they have. I saw Bruce last in Laguna Beach at a cafe with another fellow UC PR alum Barbara McMurray; the previous two times we actually got together were are memorial services — one for Noah Krom and another for the young child of another colleague in the PR industry here in OC. But we’d chat on the phone or exchange emails often enough. As far as his politics go, Bruce was liberal on some issues and conservative on others.  Just the facts sir, and be prepared to back up your facts.

Bruce took his writing very seriously.  He was an outstanding journalist in so many ways.  And he was unbelievably ethical and honest.  Bruce fostered his relationships; he always asked about my kids by name.  And he’d ask how my wife was doing. He’d ask about friends and family back in Upstate New York. 

Bruce was a great poker player and put on several charity poker tournaments.  His best bit of advice to me; don’t play your cards, play the other players. 

I miss you Bruce.  My prayers for your family.