Bruce Carlisle Edenton III

Bruce Carlisle Edenton III, 71, passed away on July 20th at his home in Naples, Florida. He was born and raised in Jackson, Tennessee, proud son of Jane Speece and Bruce Carlisle Edenton Jr.

Bruce was an alumnus of Memphis University School and Babson College-the latter of which he'd playfully boast as being the #1 ranked business school. Bruce began his career as a loan officer at the National Bank of Commerce in Memphis. Wanting to expand his career, he moved to Chicago, where he met his wife, Elizabeth Cleland, and they were married on March 23, 1991. He started his family in Memphis with the arrival of his son, Bruce Carlisle Edenton IV.

His father's ownership of a hotel in San Juan, PR, sparked a young son's ambition to one day run his own hotel. He then transitioned into the hotel industry. The Hampton Inn & Suites of San Juan celebrated its 26th year of operation in 2023. The hotel's success can be largely attributed to Bruce's genuine affection for hospitality, his meticulousness, and his robust work ethic. His love for Puerto Rico inspired him to work alongside the Union Church in supporting numerous local causes and providing relief for those impacted by hurricanes.

Throughout his life, Bruce often emphasized the secret to his success was treating his employees as if they were family. Bruce was a man who valued family. When his wife Lisa passed away in 2007 at age 47, Bruce wholeheartedly embraced the role of being a single parent to their son Carlisle.

A sociable individual, Bruce cherished lifelong friendships and nurtured new connections in Naples, where he discovered the perfect environment to pursue his passion of golf.

Bruce's legacy is survived by his son B. Carlisle Edenton IV (Nashville), his sisters Jane Edenton Wills, Mary Topley Edenton (Memphis and Naples), his nephew Walter D. Wills IV (Kelsey), his niece Mary Wills Bertwell (Peyton, Charleston, SC), father in law Charles Cleland (Nancy, Charlevoix, MI) and brother-in-law Joshua Cleland (Cathy, North Kingstown, RI).
In the embrace of Christian eternity, he reunites with his beloved wife Lisa and his parents.

A celebration of Bruce's life will be held Saturday, August 3, at 2:30 in Jackson, TN at the First Presbyterian Church. A visitation and reception will take place at Memorial Hall after the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Memphis Union Mission.