Elizabeth Acors "Liza" Bruce

1965 - 2023

BRUCE, Elizabeth Acors, Elizabeth (Liza) Acors Bruce, 58, of Glen Allen, died peacefully at home on August 7, 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband, David Paul Hines, and her father, Charles Alton Bruce, Jr. She is survived by her mother, Judith Ball Bruce; by her brother and his wife, Charles Alton (Chip) Bruce, III and Beverly Curtis Bruce; and her beloved niece and nephew, Rachel Ann Bruce and Charles Alton (Chase) Bruce, IV. She is also survived by aunts, uncles and cousins whom she adored.

Liza was born in Richmond on March 12, 1965. As a little girl, Liza loved everyone and throughout her life that never changed. She often said that it was her mission in life to bring people together. One of her youthful passions was water-skiing with her brother driving the boat. She loved the Marching Band at Highland Springs High School, where she was drum major, and she lit up the stage as Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls."

She graduated from the University of Virginia, where she was a member of Alpha Kappa Delta National Honor Society. During graduate school she worked in the University Office of Financial Aid. Liza then worked for the Virginia Student Assistance Authorities and for Class Credit / Intuition.

In her mid-teens, Liza was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Fifteen years later, suffering from kidney disease and losing her sight, she had a kidney-pancreas transplant. Although she never knew her donor, Liza was always grateful for this second chance at life.

Liza adapted to the challenges of blindness with grace and determination. The skills she learned at the Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired made a full life possible and the remarkable canine friends that Leader Dogs for the Blind provided - her beloved Baxter, Cooper and Rangler - gave her independence and wonderful companionship.

As she recovered from her first transplant, Liza began hang gliding and traveled to Wallaby Ranch in Florida. She came home a changed woman and decided that she wanted to "get back to life." That began a decade of volunteer work and public speaking that included VRCBVI, the ADA, the VRCB Volunteer Council, Lifenet and Virginia Transplant Council, the United Way Combined Virginia Campaign and Leader Dogs for the Blind. She began tandem biking and met her future husband, David, whom she married in 2004. Liza was thankful daily for the love they shared.

Liza had a second transplant in 2009, the gift of a dear friend. With renewed strength, she worked in Human Resources at VCU Health from 2012 to 2022. Her passion was new employee orientation and her goal was to communicate to those entering the VCUHS family how important each person was to the recovery and well-being of the patients for whom they cared. This year, after many months on dialysis, she was given another kidney, this too from a loving friend.

Throughout her adult life, Liza remained grateful for the people who had made her beautiful life possible. She treasured her family and friends. She spoke often about her donors, about friends in the transplant clinic at VCU, about the wonderful hospital staff on 9 Main, and about the staff and other patients at DaVita Dialysis. During her months on dialysis and during David's illness, she was supported in so many ways by family and friends who walked Rangler, who provided transportation, who shopped and who found myriad ways to support and uplift both Liza and David.

A celebration of life will be held September 9, 2023 from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Place at Innsbrook, 4036-C Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA.