Bruce
H. Thurber, 63, husband of Nancy L. (Keaney) Thurber of Juniper
Avenue, Middleton, died Thursday August 4, 2016 in the Kaplan Family
Hospice House, Danvers, following his hard fought battle with ALS.
Born
in Ipswich December 21, 1952, son of the late Hanford “Buddy” and
Helen E. (Parsons) Thurber, he was raised in Ipswich and was a 1970
graduate of Ipswich High School. With an incredible work ethic,
Bruce began working at the age of twelve delivering milk for the
former Upland Farm Dairy of Ipswich. Becoming close friends with
farm owners, the late Orrin and Kenneth Parsons, he soon learned the
ways of the dairy farm and learned to drive anything with wheels. He
later went to work at the former
Marguery Restaurant in Ipswich, where he developed his lifelong love
of food. In 1972 he went to work at Bostik in Middleton, from which
he retired following over forty years of employment. Never one to
sit still and always on the move, he enjoyed many sports and outdoor
activities, running cross country in high school, downhill and cross
country skiing, weight lifting, mountain and road biking, hiking the
Appalachian Trail, and spending time at Crane Beach. He was also an
avid Harley Davidson rider, and he and his wife often rode their
motorcycle around the beaches of Massachusetts and New
Hampshire during the summer months. Favorite stops included arcades
at Hampton and Salisbury to play pinball, and trying ice cream at
many local stands. He had a dry sense of humor and loved a good
practical joke. He was intensely proud of his daughters and
their accomplishments.
In
addition to his wife of thirty-six years, he is survived by two
daughters, Carrie S. Thurber of Durham, NC and Jennifer E. Thurber
of Raleigh NC, a brother, David Thurber of Manchester, NH, two
sisters, Jean Coble and her husband Robert of Maryland and Carol
Thurber and her husband John Bolduc of Ipswich, and many nieces and
nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Joyce Sotiropoulos,
formerly of Ipswich, and by his beloved
dachshund, Daphne.
His funeral service will
be held 10 am Wednesday, August 10 in the Cowles Memorial Cemetery,
Town Farm Road, Ipswich. Family and friends are respectfully
welcomed. Visiting hours are Tuesday 4 to 7 pm in the
Whittier-Porter Funeral Home, 6 High Street, Ipswich.
