Geoffrey BRUCE

BRUCE, Geoffrey F
Geoffrey died at the Ottawa Hospital (Civic Campus) on Wednesday, September 10, 2014. He is deeply mourned by Erika, his companion and wife of 47 years. Geoff was the younger son of the late Professor E.L.Bruce and Mary Bruce (nee Neely). He was predeceased by his brother Douglas, half-brother Dr. H.C. Horwood, and half-sisters Lorna Horwood and Dorothy Davis. He is survived by his sons, Ian and David (Lia, Ella, and Eilam), daughter Karen, sisters-in law Rev. Jean Bruce and Mary McMartin, many nephews and nieces of the Bruce and Davis-Little families, and goddaughter Emma Drouin. Born in Kingston, Ontario, on June 30, 1925, Geoff graduated from Queen's University with a B.A. (Hons) in political science in 1947. He was elected president of the student government in both Kingston Collegiate and Queen's University. Among his academic awards were the American Legion Scholarship, the McRae scholarship and the Tricolour at Queen's. In 1948, Geoff entered Columbia University in New York, where he earned an M.A. in economics, while also studying at the New School of Social Research. He joined the Department of External Affairs in 1952, and at the start of a distinguished career took up his first diplomatic assignment in 1954 to the newly opened Canadian Embassy in Israel, where he remained until 1957. He then served at the Canadian High Commission in Ceylon, and from 1963 to 1967 as Counselor at the Canadian Embassy in Vienna, Austria, where he was also a member of the Board of Governors of the I.A.E.A. Upon his return to Ottawa, he joined the UN Division, and in 1971 attended the National Defence College in Kingston, following which he was named Director of the International Science and Environmental Affairs Division, and secretary general of the Canadian Delegation to the UN Conference on the Human Environment, which took place in Stockholm in 1972. Subsequently, he went as Minister to the Canadian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, where he remained until 1977. In 1977/ 78 he was a Fellow at the Centre for International Affairs at Harvard University. He then served as High Commissioner to Kenya and Uganda, and also until 1982, as the Canadian Permanent Representative to the UN Environment Agency and the UN Commission on Human Settlements. Once more in Ottawa, he became Vice President for Foreign Aid Policy and then for Business Cooperation at Coda. In 1987, he was appointed Ambassador to Portugal, and upon completion of his assignment in 1990, he retired and accompanied his wife Erika to NATO in Brussels. Geoff participated actively in the Canadian Institute for International Affairs, the Group of 78, Queen's University Alumni Association and others, and served on the executives. During the whole of his life he was passionately committed to multilateralism and the development of sustainable resources, and retained a deep interest in the history and politics of the United States. Geoff loved music, good conversation and the telling of stories; he read widely and thoughtfully to the end of his life. But more even than music, he loved people. His perceptive advice, his dry sense of humour, and his unfailing kindness made him lifelong friends in many countries. Our thanks go to CCAC and the devoted medical team at the Ottawa Hospital (Civic). A Farewell celebration will be held on Tuesday, September 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Church of St. Bartholomew, 125 Mackay Street, Ottawa. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Community Living Kingston, 1412 Princess Street, Kingston, K7M 3E5
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