Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
Bruce Trace Obituary
Chris graduated from Tuscaloosa County High School in 2000 and obtained a Bachelors Degree, with honors, from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. Perhaps he is best remembered locally for his work with youth groups affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Church. For the most part, Chris resided in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since graduating from UPenn.
Survivors include his parents Bruce and Jacqueline Trace of Northport, his sister Holly Trace currently attending school in Syracuse, New York and his grandparents, Bruce and Jessie Trace of Palmetto, Florida.
A private service for Chris will be held in Parrish, Florida.
Condolences may be offered at www.heritagechapeltuscaloosa.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Bruce Trace
Rebecca Loebe
October 17, 2020
I woke up this morning thinking of Chris, wishing I could text him to check in after all these years. What a bright light he was. I remember his laugh and colorful descriptions of things and focused approach to the projects we worked on together on the Mid South District Youth Adult Committee. Sending love to his family this morning, wanted to let you know that he’s loved and very much missed by a childhood UU friend living in Texas.
With love,
Rebecca
April 11, 2011
Having lunch at Milk & Honey, a place Chris introduced me to, around the corner from his apartment on Farragut... can't believe a year has passed... coming up on what would have been your 30th birthday. i wish you were here... i miss you.
John Czachurski
June 7, 2010
I am sad to learn today of Chris' passing. I remember him, from my days on the Mid-South District Board, as a dynamic, strong, and intelligent young man with a passion for justice. I am certain that the world is a better place for his all-too-brief presence here. May you continue to be blessed by his legacy.
JOHN GRIMES
May 10, 2010
My heart is heavy with sadness today as I just now learned about Chris' death. I have many fond memories of Chris from when he was in DC and we had just reconnected via facebook in January I believe it was. I was looking forward to seeing him again soon. I cannot even begin to imagine what you, his family and other friends, must be going through. My sympathies are with each of you and I will have many fond memories of Chris. Thank you!
April 11, 2010
Dear Family & Loved Ones of Chris,
I was deeply sadden to hear about Chis. I got to know him at First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia were we served on some ministry projects together. I took a liking to him right away and admired his thoughful approach and dedicated engagment. We discussed his interest in going to seminary and when I did enroll, he was supportive and encouraging. I enjoyed teasing him on his Starbucks addiction as I never saw him with a cup in hand. I last saw him at a wine tasting event where we laughed about having to spit out the wine after tasting it (seemed like such a waste). He is being missed. Mark deCourval
Sarah Webb (Perdue)
March 25, 2010
Dear Jackie, Bruce and Holly,
There is a hole in the world, a huge hole in my heart where Chris used to be.
Thank you Jackie and Bruce for giving me your trust and sending Chris off with me. What started as a youth advisor relationship became an extraordinary friendship. I know he taught me more than I could ever have possibly taught him...except maybe that you never order eggs benedict at an IHOP.
We laughed, danced and didn't sleep at youth conferences. We wrestled with ethical issues and struggled with when to let the youth make their own decisions and when to try very, very hard to persuade them to DO IT OUR WAY! We led groups in silly ice breaker games at youth cons. And when we were all stir crazy and exhausted from being in cars, we'd get out and do them again at rest areas--oblivious to the stopping, gaping cars of travelers.
From Tuscaloosa, Atlanta, Nashville, Salt Lake City, places in between and back again we traveled with and on behalf of UU Youth. He started calling us the "Dynamic Duo." For those precious years, I was delighted to be part of the "Duo." I was and ever will be his friend. I hope he never, not even for a moment, forgot it.
We talked about books, equality, justice; we laughed and told family stories. I took him to meet my mother, and he survived. At my house, we cooked, had parties, baked and decorated Christmas cookies, made things out of clay and talked late into the night until mothers started calling to make sure everyone was still safe and well. With my friend Anthony, we learned how to roller blade and cooked an Indian feast so big, we used my coffee table as a tray to carry it out to to serve on the patio table.
He howled with laughter when Tina Baker's five year old son Marcus creamed me at chess.
We complained derisively about his plastic high school graduation gown, and I was honored to join you, his family for dinner afterwards at Evangeline's.
We took our last trip to Oxford Mississippi to attend our friend Elizabeth's graduation. For the first time, he drove us in his new Toyota, and he was so delighted by it. We went to a fun place with toothpicks all over the ceiling for lunch after graduation, the Yocona River Inn for dinner and a really cool place with a bottle tree for Sunday breakfast. We rambled all over Rowan Oak with Elizabeth on Sunday and could have spent a week in Square books.
We loved sharing good coffee and good food. I offered him neither the last time he came to my house--my freezer was stocked with breastmilk and my pantry with mixed nuts. He held my firstborn son with gentleness and awe. I never, ever, in a million years dreamed it would be the last time.
This hole in my heart will always be with me, but so will all of these and so very many other memories.
Sarah
Nanda Hopenwasser
March 24, 2010
Dear Bruce, Jacqueline and Holly, Alan and I remember Chris as a serious boy who although he was younger than our children always seemed just as mature. We enjoyed talking to him when we met him outside your house on our frequent walks in Northwood Lake. He was interested in everything. And I remember one time that he spent a good deal of time talking to our son Lance at a math department picnic--something about science and computers--even though Lance was in college and Chris was a good ten years younger than Lance. We cannot imagine how painful is your loss--but we send our love to all of you even though we now are far away from Tuscaloosa.
Nanda and Alan Hopenwasser (Chili, NY and Denver, CO)
Martyn Dixon
March 23, 2010
Bruce, Jackie and Holly,
I was so sorry to hear the sad news about Chris, just yesterday, even after I had sent out the news about the seminar. My heart aches for you all.
Martyn
Ana Cristina Santos Haubrich
March 22, 2010
I worked with Chris at the American Friends Service Committee. We worked in different departments and our paths did not cross everyday but I remember his very special sense of humor and his kindness.
Holding him and his family in the light, AC
La' Teash Allen
March 21, 2010
My heart goes out to the family of Chris,the two years I've worked at the Friends Center was looked forward too because I knew I had a life changing conversation waiting for me. I laughed,I learned and now I live with the memories of a truely WONDERFUL MAN!GOD Bless.
March 20, 2010
Dear Bruce, Jacqueline and Holly:
Phyllis and I were on a car trip to Texas when we found out about Chris when I checked my email on a motel computer (around March 14). We cannot express how sad we are. Neither of us knew Chris very well, but I remember him as a charming little boy, seeing him and his sister Holly in your Ford Escort, and then later at the Unitarians. Chris had a lot of potential and it is tragic that his life ended so soon.
If we can be of any assistance, please contact us.
Once again, our hearts go out to you.
Dick and Phyllis Brown
Tysha Lightfoot-El
March 20, 2010
This was such heartbreaking news. I am glad to have met such a thoughtful young man. My prayers go out to his close friends and family. Our loved ones make transition back home. Chris... may you rest in peace. Peace and love...
Rev. Nate Walker
March 19, 2010
The following biography was written as part of his June 2008 membership ceremony at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, where Chris served on the Ministry Leadership Team.
Here’s how Chris Trace begins his story.
“We all piled into the car on that warmish December morning. The back roads were the only way there. Mom drove us past the wealthy north-of-the-river suburbs, over the Holt Lock and Dam, and through the winding streets. My sister and I looked earnestly out the car windows for a small sign supposedly a mile away from our destination. We missed the sign, but we managed to arrive in time for the 10:30 am service. We discreetly took our seats near the rear of the sanctuary. Shortly thereafter, the president stood and said, ‘Welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Tuscaloosa [Alabama], a flame of liberal religion in the South.’
“They say ninety percent of life is showing up, but I had no idea at the age of fourteen that day marked the first step on a transformational and life-long journey. I did not know that some of the people there would help guide on the way toward finding myself, defining my values, and developing a spirituality that would give me strength and courage. And if anyone had told me then how involved I would become in church affairs, I would have probably run far, far away!”
Chris recalls now, “The focal point of my experience with the Tuscaloosa UUs was the youth group. Youth group was so different from my experience of junior high and high school – it wasn’t about popularity or which labels were emblazoned on people’s clothing. Those things didn’t matter. We tackled “real” topics: the meaning of life, ethics, religion, and morality. Most importantly, we were honest with each other and strove to hold each other accountable. It was my first experience of covenanted community, and it happened in a circle of beanbag chairs situated around a chalice and empty pizza boxes.”
Through youth conferences in neighboring cities and states, he found an even larger community of UU youth. Hardly six months after he attended his first service, his youth group went to a Leadership Development Conference in Birmingham. Soon enough, he was part of an ad hoc committee to establish goals and bylaws for a youth programming committee for the Mid-South UU District. He became the convener of that group (because he had the extreme good fortune of a youth advisor willing to drive three hours to its meetings in Atlanta.)
Next, Chris was elected co-chair of the Youth-Adult Committee, the product of that work, and within two years, the Mid-South was recognized as a leader in small district youth programming. From the YAC, Chris went on to hold other leadership positions, including Trustee on the MSD Board, district representative to the Continental Youth Council, and Business Manager of the General Assembly Youth Caucus in 1999. At General Assembly that year, he joined the Unitarian Universalist Associate Strategic Planning Committee and was appointed by the UUA Board to the Commission on Social Witness, the body responsible for writing the public and social policies of the UUA. After college, his fellow commissioners elected me as their chairman.
Chris says that the honor of serving Unitarian Universalism in these and many other ways gave him a unique perspective into UUism. Chris plans to begin divinity school in Fall 2009. Currently, he is working for the American Friends Service Committee, an international Quaker humanitarian and social justice organization.
In 2005, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in history.
Laurie Creasy
March 19, 2010
I knew Chris when we were both at AFSC. He was a wonderful young man. My heart breaks for you.
Rona Cunningham
March 18, 2010
Jacki, Bruce and Holly,
I am so sadden by the loss of Chris. I have the greatest memories of his younger years; a very sweet, polite boy we watched turn into a handsome man. I know you will need more than yourselves to get through this, and God is willing to bring you peace and comfort. I am praying for your days ahead. "Be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24
Jonna Pouncey
March 18, 2010
To Jackie and family, I just want to let you know that I'm thinking of you every day. You are all in my prayers.
Judy Haraburda
March 17, 2010
Dear Family, I was just getting to know Chris at First Church in Philadelphia. We were members of the same circle supper group. He impressed me with his sense of humor and intelligence and kindness. My heart goes out to you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
March 17, 2010
Dear Trace Family:
I am Shocked and saddened at the news of Chris Trace's death.
Chris and I shared many laughs, conversations, hugs, and times as part of the younger leaders in historic First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. As a matter of fact, he would often pick on me about who I had crushes on and whatnot. i will always remember the times we had.
His light will shine throughout our church life, and always know that you all have love and support from First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia.
T. Desiree Hines
Member and Music Associate
First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
Jamie Evanini
March 17, 2010
I met Chris a couple of times at Young Adult activities he helped lead at First Unitarian in Philadelphia. He had such a vibrant and compassionate presence. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
WILLIAM STERNMAN
March 16, 2010
Although I barely knew Chris, I was shocked and saddened to learn of his unexpected death. I wish there were more I could say, but there never is, is there?
Anne Slater
March 16, 2010
I met Chris at First Unitarian Church of/in Philadelphia, and served with him on the Ministry Leadership Team. I respected Chris's direct, forthright, and loving manner of communication. I enjoyed his wit and his gorgeous good looks.
We all did.
With Love,
Anne
Rev. Nate Walker
March 16, 2010
I am heartbroken.
Chris was a beloved member of our congregation who served on the Ministry Leadership Team last year. He was known for his judicious mind, his justice-seeking heart and warm and loving presence.
We will be holding a Contemporary Worship service in Chris' honor on Sunday evening, March 28th at 6 pm.
With deep sadness and in gratitude for all he taught the First Church family in Philly...
Peace,
Jan Carlsson-Bull
March 16, 2010
Dear Jacqueline, Bruce, and Holly--
My heart goes out to you. If my heart aches, I can only imagine what you are feeling, losing a beloved son and brother.
I knew Chris during our many years together on our Unitarian Universalist Association's Commission on Social Witness (CSW). Scott Keeler referred to the long walks that they took together during our Boston meetings; I remember them well. Off would go Chris and Scott, to who knows where, and then return to report with such enthusiasm their adventure. It was gratifying to see the two of them bond as friends. I always knew Chris to be deeply sensitive, caring, thoughtful, and keenly intelligent. His contribution to our faith and to the social justice that so impassioned him is lasting. His smile, his look of being deep in thought linger. He was so proud of being the only member of the CSW to move through high school graduation and then college graduation all while serving on the CSW.
We cheered with him. Now I can only ache at his absence and send you, his parents and sister, love and another reminder of how well loved your son was by friends as well as family.
In faith and sadness,
Rev. Jan Carlsson-Bull
Barbara Hayes
March 16, 2010
I send hope that loving memories of Chris will live in the hearts of his family & friends. I knew Chris through his work at AFSC and valued his calm presence and wonderful smile.
Barbara Hayes
March 16, 2010
I send hope that loving memories of Chris will always be with his friends and family. I knew him through his work at AFSC and valued his calm presence and wonderful smile.
Denise Davidoff
March 16, 2010
I am a greatly saddened Denny Davidoff. Chris Trace and I worked closely together on a number of projects for the Unitarian Universalist Association while I was Moderator from 1993 to 2001. He was, for me and others in leadership, our "go to youth" - knowledgable, connected, reliable, committed and able to function in a group of high powered adults with poise and grace and exceptionally good ideas. I stayed in touch with him while he was at Penn and afterward,trying to be helpful as he job hunted. Then we lost contact but I continued to think about him and worry. Was he okay? His silence seemed to be a message. Oh, I am so sad.
Dick Creswell
March 16, 2010
Dear family and friends of Chris Trace,
I had the pleasure of getting to know Chris through the Unitarian Universalist Association when he was a young man in high school. Our paths continued to weave patterns as we occasionally attended the same UUA meetings during the next ten years of our lives.
Chris was the sort of young man I wished I had been - he was smart and personable, with a love of learning and a passion for making the world a better place. He lived his life with a keen awareness of others and a strong commitment to justice and compassion.
The sun will shine tomorrow, but it will be less brilliant for not shining on Chris Trace.
Janine Schwab
March 15, 2010
I am so sorry to hear of Chris's passing. Chris was a wonderful colleague and a neighbor. He was so full of curiosity and hope and I loved getting to spend time talking to him about his plans and dreams. I will remember him for his optimism and grace under pressure. I am running a 5K race on April 11th focused on reducing gun violence and celebrating youth and I will be running in Chris's memory.
Dick Creswell
March 15, 2010
Dear family and friends of Chris Trace,
I had the pleasure of getting to know Chris through the Unitarian Universalist Association when he was a young man in high school. Our paths continued to weave patterns as we occasionally were in the same UUA meetings and conferences during the next ten years of our lives.
Chris was the sort of young man I wished I had been – he was smart and personable, with a love of learning and a passion for making the world a better place. He lived his life with a keen awareness of others and a strong commitment to justice and compassion.
The sun will shine tomorrow, but it will be poorer for not shining on Chris Trace.
Dick Creswell
Macon, GA
Patricia McBee
March 15, 2010
When I became Interim Executive Director of Friends Center in June 2009, Chris was a mainstay helping me get on top of issues of the ongoing renovation project. Whether it was balancing charges to AFSC or just the right words for the interpretive signs, Chris was effective, sensitive, creative and all the while cheerful and generous with his time.
I am holding the Trace family in my prayers in this difficult time.
marissa perrone
March 15, 2010
Dear HOlly, Bruce and Jacqueline
I had the great joy to work closely with Chris over the past year and half at the Friends Service Committee.
I was always amazed by his ability to connect with people and to remain calm under stress. He was truly a kind and wonderful person -- with an incredible intellect and desire to be part of change. I was so looking forward to seeing what he would accomplish and add to the field of sustainability in the city.
There are so many of us here in Philadelphia who will think of him always. Please know that we share your loss and feel this pain so deeply.
Marissa Perrone
Sandy Horne
March 15, 2010
I will always remember Chris's laugh, wonderful sense of humor and experimentation with a new foreign language a week. I worked with Chris at AFSC, and whenever he would stop by my desk, I would sit back, smile and just wait for it! I am so sad for Chris's family and friends. He will be remembered.
Audra Wood Falk
March 15, 2010
I went to school with Chris and graduated with him from TCHS in 2000. I was very sad to hear of his passing. I have many memories of him as a very kind person.
Susan Goodman Jackson
March 15, 2010
Chris & I became friends as coworkers at AFSC. In the many months since working there, we've met almost weekly in Philly for coffee & conversation. Though times are tough, he's been one of the most upbeat, proactive people I know, always attending seminars, talks, recommending books that are uplifting and inspiring. Not long ago he sent me a packet of many of his favorite quotes, all life-affirming. He was a warm, smart, funny, caring person, someone I consider a really good friend. I miss him already. I'm so sorry he left us so soon. I hope you find peace and healing. Chris, I hope you are in peace.
With love and gratitude for our all-too-brief friendship,
Susan Goodman
[email protected]
March 15, 2010
I was so sorry to hear of Chris' passing. I worked with him when he was at AFSC in Philadelphia and admired and respected how he handled everything. Kathy Reilly (Philadelphia, PA)
March 15, 2010
I am so sorry about the death of Chris. Your family will be in my prayers.
Sharon Pate (second grade teacher) Tuscaloosa,AL
Kristen Richardson
March 15, 2010
To the Trace family,
Words cannot fully express how much Chris meant to me while we were both working at AFSC, and after we left.
His good cheer and ability to reframe even the harshest situations into something funny or instructive were blessings to all who worked with him.
I was amazed by his spiritual gifts.
I am holding you all in the Light, and will continue to hold Chris in my heart always. People like Chris are never forgotten.
In sorrow, and with gratitude for his friendship,
Robert Leming
March 15, 2010
Dear friends,
I did not know Chris well, but I worked with him at the American Friends Service Committee. I admired his work and I admired his way. He is a great loss to the Light in the world.
Chris and his loved ones are in my prayer.
Oskar Castro
March 15, 2010
I have not seen Chris since his departure from AFSC. I knew Chris as a colleague... not so much as a "friend" but he was one of the most friendliest folk to be found at AFSC and I always appreciated that about him. Chris was diligent, responsible, and attentive... and I am sure that these are the same qualities he showed as a son, brother, and friend to those who knew him better than I.
I pray that Chris is in a place of peace and that his family and friends will heal from this loss in the best ways possible.
I will hold him and those who knew and loved him in the light.
Respectfully,
Oskar Castro
Eunice Benton
March 15, 2010
Dear Chris's Family,
Chris was such a treasured young friend for me and for all of us in the family of Unitarian Universalists in Mid-South District... His gifts to us still sustain our youth programming and our memories of him make us smile and remind us of how grateful we are for his presence among us.
We join you in the great sadness you must feel... And we send you love and care and hope for healing in the coming days.
Eunice Benton
District Executive
Mid-South District
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Scott Keeler
March 14, 2010
To all of Chris's loved ones,
I worked and was friends with Chris when he was on the Unitarian Universalist Association Commission on Social Witness (CSW) on which he served from 1999 to 2007 (I think).
CSW held three weekend meetings on top of the annual week-long meeting at General Assembly and Chris and I always made a point at every meeting of carving out time for just the two of us to take a long walk, mostly to Harvard along and across the Charles river, to search out a restaurant with a little more variety or zest. Indian, Thai, Sushi and all kinds of culinary delight -- yet nothing as delightful as this intimate time we shared. We formed a very deep friendship during those dinners and long walks where we engaged in religious, political and pretty much every kind of debate.
I always thought Chris expected too much of the world. I tried to tell him that we were all flawed and could never be counted on to always do the right thing or do things the right way and hardly ever to do them right away. His high expectations often left him disappointed but his infectious enthusiasm somehow seemed to get renewed despite that.
When I left the Commission, we grew apart as people do. But I had always imagined we would see each other at some time in the future and immediately be able to rekindle the embers of our friendship that each of us carried back into a blaze -- I was wrong. Now I have to carry the ember alone, fanning it from time-to-time with memories of Chris to keep it glowing in my heart.
Chris -- I am so sad you left us.
Love
Scott Keeler
Jill Beaney
March 14, 2010
Dear Bruce, Jacqueline & Holly,
I send all the love in the world to you.
I am a Unitarian who worked with Chris in the General Secretary's Office at AFSC. Chris & I had a beloved ritual of going for coffee every day at around 10:30 am. He will be missed by so very many people in Philadelphia. His energy & zest for life & sense of humor were inspiring.
I send a special hug to Jacqueline as I know it has been a hard year for you. You are in my thoughts.
Love to you all.
Respectfully,
Jill Beaney
Showing 1 - 43 of 43 results
Make a Donation
in Bruce Trace's name
Memorial Events
for Bruce Trace
How to support Bruce's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read more
The Five Stages of Grief
They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read moreWays to honor Bruce Trace's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
