Bruce Alan Johnson

1931 - 2025

Bruce Alan Johnson, beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, storyteller, and joyful spirit, passed away peacefully at the age of 94, surrounded by family and love. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 19, 1931, to Rudolph A. and Hazel (Young) Johnson. In 1941, the family relocated to Montclair, New Jersey, where Bruce graduated from Montclair High School in 1949.

Bruce attended Cornell University, earning both a B.A. in Psychology and an MBA in Marketing by 1954. At Cornell, he joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) fraternity. It was during these college years that he met the first love of his life, Judy Kaim, a student at Skidmore College.

Bruce and Judy were married shortly after graduation. When the Korean War draft was still active, Bruce volunteered for service. He served as a Psychiatric Social Worker in the U.S. Army Medical Corps at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. After Bruce's discharge in 1956, they moved back to New Jersey, eventually settling in Essex Fells, where they raised their three children: Sharon, Craig, and Eric.

Professionally, Bruce held several executive roles in publishing and finance, beginning with McGraw-Hill Publishing and later transitioning to Wall Street. Over nearly two decades, he specialized in taxable fixed-income securities with firms including Citibank, A.G. Becker, Prudential, and as Executive Vice President of Irving Trust.

In 1964, Bruce and Judy discovered Block Island, Rhode Island, which became their beloved summer retreat. By 1988, they had built a summer home on The Neck, solidifying their deep connection to the island. An avid fisherman since childhood, Bruce tied his own flies, crafted his own lures, and eventually opened an Orvis fly fishing store on the island in 1989. Tragically, later that year, Judy was killed in a plane crash while flying from Block Island to Westerly, Rhode Island. In that same crash, John Barrows -- returning from visiting his father -- was also lost. Through shared grief and a series of compassionate phone calls, Bruce and John's widow, Diane Barrows, became sources of strength for one another. They met in person in June 1990 and were married on October 17, 1992. In 1992, Bruce made the bold decision to leave his Wall Street career, sell his home in New Jersey, and move full-time to Dorset, Vermont, with Diane. From there, they continued to split their time between Vermont and Block Island, embracing a life grounded in family, nature, and community.

Never one to sit still, Bruce stayed active on Block Island. He served two terms as President of the Block Island Residents Association, held board positions with the Committee for the Great Salt Pond and the Block Island Maritime Institute (BIMI), and was a member of the American Legion, Tourism Commission, and Conservation Commission. He proudly revived the historic Block Island flag and spent the last 20 years designing the Block Island Burgee as a fundraiser for the CGSP. After closing the Orvis store in 2000, he continued running the Block Island Flag Company.

He was the Grand Marshal of both the Essex Fells Bicentennial Parade in 1976 and the Block Island Fourth of July Parade in 2014. He was also the Master of Ceremonies for the island's 350th Anniversary celebration, reveling in any opportunity to tell a good story or share a laugh.

Bruce is survived by his wife Diane, and his three children, Sharon Johnson-Tennant, Craig Johnson and Eric Johnson, and his stepson Justin Barrows, along with 14 grandchildren.

When asked what he was most proud of, Bruce simply said, our two families' survival of a tragedy that brought them all together. And when asked what kind of funeral he would want, he quoted Bob Hope: Surprise me.

Bruce Johnson's life was filled with love, laughter, adventure, and purpose. He will be missed beyond measure and remembered always.

A graveside service will be held at the B.I. Cemetery, on June 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. A Celebration of Life will follow at the Block Island Maritime Institute. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Committee for the Great Salt Pond, Block Island Maritime Institute, and Hope Health Hospice, Providence, R.I.