Robert Craig Bruce

Robert (Bob) Craig Bruce, 61, of Portland, died early Wednesday morning, June 19, 2024, at Brigham and Women's Hospital surrounded by his loving family. He died from complications associated with a kidney transplant.

Born July 10th, 1962, in Rochester, NY to Dorothy and Ronald Bruce, Bob began his journey in nearby Honeoye Falls. Growing up on Taylor Road, countless adventures awaited just outside the back door. Alongside his younger siblings Jonathan and Gretchen, Bob enjoyed snowmobiling and dirt biking through the forest and fields surrounding the house, sledding down the back hill, building and playing in an enormous treehouse, and shooting .22's at the pond (and the occasional critter). It was a magical place to grow up; a place to play, explore, create, imagine and dream.

Bob developed a strong bond to the Finger Lakes region during his high school years when his family began spending summers first on Conesus, and then the beloved cottage on Keuka. He could be found roughhousing on the float, sailing the sunfish, and building massive bonfires under the weeping willow that towered over their front yard. The time that Bob spent at the lake provided countless hours of fun, first with his parents and siblings and then for many years to come with his own family.

Whether Bob was at home or at the lake, reading was always a constant. He was a voracious reader with an insatiable thirst for knowledge that never diminished throughout his lifetime. After attending Honeoye Falls High School, Bob's steady ambition and inquisitiveness earned him admission to Princeton University. He began his college days studying Chemical Engineering before quickly pivoting to East Asian Studies. Despite what may have sounded like a surprising twist at first, those who knew him could see the fit for a young man inspired by the faraway places he spent years reading about. From spinning records on WPRB, to heated foosball matches with friends, many late nights studying Mandarin, and a year studying in Taiwan, Princeton opened the door to experiences and friendships that made an indelible impression on who he was as a person.

After graduating, Bob continued to immerse himself in Chinese language and culture, spending the summer traveling from Hong Kong to the Tibetan Steppe. He felt incredibly connected to the place and had countless stories to share from his time there- sneaking into Uyghur country and eating street food off of sizzling oil cans are among his family's favorites. Speaking fluent Mandarin with an impeccable accent, he was oftentimes mistaken for a native speaker. He would continue to utilize the skill for years to come in various settings, including sitting on the boards of two Chinese companies. Searching for his next challenge, Bob went on to study at Yale School of Management where he earned his MBA and honed his entrepreneurial mindset. At Yale, as at Princeton, Bob excelled and met some of his dearest, lifelong friends.

After graduating in 1989, Bob moved to Maine to join the leadership team of Tribal Assets Management. Tribal Assets was an investment bank founded to help oversee the multi-million-dollar land claims settlement the federal government paid the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes in 1980 as compensation for land taken from them over the past two centuries, as well as subsequent settlements for Indigenous People across the nation. Never one to follow the crowd, Bob chose Maine over Wall Street. The next year Bob met the love of his life and best friend of 34 years, Cynthia (Cindy) Czajkowski. As he and Cindy raised their family, Bob utilized his financial and management expertise across various positions in healthcare, finance, and consulting, while also trying to bring his own business ventures to life. Bob spent nearly 30 years in the Biotech field, working to advance emerging technology in order to detect cancer earlier and save lives.

While he excelled at work, Bob always claimed that his kids were his proudest accomplishment. He was a kind, loving, and supportive dad to his three sons and offered them unwavering encouragement and guidance. Family was his heart. Reading, food, travel, Maine beaches, Keuka Lake, spending time in Florida, and skiing were some of the many other passions that brought Bob great joy in life.

Dealt a formidable obstacle in 1999, Bob was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Remarkably, he suffered few negative effects from his declining kidney function before finally getting a transplant in 2023. Although there were some positive signs in the early days after the procedure, the following nine months brought numerous complications. Most significantly, a diagnosis of lymphoma that resulted in an extended period of hospitalization. Throughout this time, Bob's optimism never wavered, and his spirit remained resolute. Cindy was by his side each day as the two of them fought for his recovery, a goal that sometimes felt far, but never impossible. At Brigham, he was visited by family and old friends, but also made many new ones along the way. Often heard chatting about biotech news, family, or his championship winning Celtics, it was no surprise that Bob was so loved by his whole medical team. It was also no surprise that in his final weeks he was still pushing as hard as ever on a new business idea. Where past ventures sometimes diverged from his areas of expertise, this one couldn't have been any more fitting-addressing chronic kidney disease in a way he believed would be revolutionary. Bob was reading, dreaming, learning, planning, and loving until the day he died. He had no intention of leaving this world but had expressed on several occasions how fortunate he was to have such an amazing life and that if he died tomorrow, he was at peace and felt grateful for all he had experienced.

Bob had a true zest for life and leaves an unfillable void in his family, community, and the world. A loyal and devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend, Bob was always someone you could count on to encourage you to pursue your dreams, interests, and passions. His kindness, humor, authenticity, curiosity, integrity and humble character were truly unique, with many describing him as their best friend, the smartest person they knew, a mentor, and a real mensch. He leaves his wife Cindy Czajkowski and his three sons: Dylan of Watertown, MA, Connor of Brooklyn, NY and Jeremy of Brooklyn, NY. He is also survived by his mother, Dottie Bruce of Falmouth, ME, father, Ron Bruce and his wife Judy, of Mount Pleasant, SC, brother, Jonathan Bruce and his wife Jessica, of Burlington, VT, sister, Gretchen Hoefer and husband Mike of Keene, NH, mother in law, Anne Czajkowski of Coral Springs, FL, brother in law Tony Czajkowski of Coral Springs, FL, nieces and nephew, Tayl'r, Kaylin, Taylor, Madi and Alex.

A celebration of life will be held for Bob on Sunday, October 6th, from 1- 5pm at The McKernan Center on the campus of SMCC in South Portland. There will be tributes at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the many organizations that Bob supported over the years including Common Cause, The New England Aquarium, and The National Kidney Foundation.