John Bruce Gailey

John Bruce Gailey - known his entire life as Bruce - was born into an army family during World War II, and lived in the Washington, D.C. area and Germany for most of his childhood. He was the second of three brothers (Charles K. (dec'd.) and Timothy), with two younger sisters (Christine and Jennifer). He was always known for his adventurous spirit, his sense of humor and his thoughtfulness, traits that he carried with him all his life. He was also athletic, and was an avid tennis player. Bruce followed his father's example and attended West Point, graduating in 1965. His army service included paratrooper and ranger training and two full tours of duty in Vietnam during the height of that war. During that war he never lost his humanity. Once, on a rare free day, he drove to an orphanage to deliver a box of "surplus" softball and soccer balls he had gathered for the children. On the way back to his base he picked up a Vietnamese man with a fresh leg wound lying in some pain by the side of the road. He field-dressed the wound and drove the man to an aid station, never inquiring whether the man might be an enemy. He suspected as much, but it did not make a difference. When Bruce returned from his second tour in Vietnam, he had decided to turn to civilian life. He married, and his son, John became his constant pride. Bruce attended Harvard Business School, obtaining an MBA in 1972. He worked for some time in corporate management and banking, but eventually left that to follow his inclinations toward entrepreneurship, develop-ing a variety of businesses ranging from importing designer fabrics, to marketing decorator products, to producing and marketing bonsai trees. He was always thinking of new ideas and innovative products that could be developed into successful small business solutions. Meanwhile he also enjoyed teaching his business skills and economics to the next generation of college students at Embry-Riddle University and City University of Seatttle. Bruce always incorporated outdoor activities into his daily life: camping in the Southwest, finding a hidden spot for picnics near Niagara Falls, hiking in his favorite mountains outside of Seattle. In a natural setting he could be fearless. He once took on a rattlesnake with a forked stick because the snake was blocking his path. He did not hurt the snake, but the path ended up snake-free. Bruce could talk to anybody about almost anything, and both people in the conversation would be enriched by it. His wry humor was infectious and even over the phone you could see the twinkle in his eye. He was one of those rare people who treated every person he met as someone he could find common ground with and a potential friend. In July of 1997 Bruce walked into Del's Nursery to sell homegrown eucalyptus trees. There he met Chris Revoir and for 20 years they were playmates, adventu-rers, sweethearts, travelers and shared a passion for books and art. Bruce was "Grandpa" to six: Alyson, Anne, Ian, Conor, Laird and Landis. He has been dearly loved by all and his loss is deeply felt.