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BORN
1935
DIED
2020
Bruce Gillies Obituary
1935 - 2019
Bruce passed away peacefully at home in Berkeley, CA on November 25, 2019, surrounded by family and friends. He was born in 1935 in New York, son of Donald and Bertha Gillies.His formative years were spent in San Mateo, where the family moved when he was 12 years old. After two years in the Army stationed in France, Bruce earned his BA in Economics from Stanford in 1959 and a JD from UC Berkeley in 1962.
He married Heidi Altorfer in 1963 and they settled in Berkeley, where they found great friends and were active in their community.
Bruce went to work for Donahue, Gallagher, Thomas and Woods in 1964 and made partner in 1968. He worked his entire career at Donahue until his retirement in 1997.
His true passions were sports, jazz music, and the outdoors. He led Sierra Club trips in the Sierra Nevada, was an active father in Troop 4 of the Boy Scouts, and organized sports for the neighborhood kids. He took great joy in trying to recall the rosters of sports teams from his childhood. Later in life, he found a love for singing in the Berkeley Community Chorus.
Though often a man of few words, he is remembered for having a kind word and a helping hand for everyone.
He is survived by his wife, Heidi Gillies, of Berkeley, CA; his two sons, Donald Gillies of Berkeley, CA, and Robert Gillies of Oakland, CA; his sister, Ann Anderson of Rocklin, CA; nieces and nephews, and many more grand and great-grand nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Bruce's life will be held at St John's Church, 2727 College Avenue in Berkeley, Saturday, February 15, 2020. Friends and family will gather for Visitation from 10-11am; with a Memorial service to follow at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, memorials to The Sierra Club, Yosemite Conservancy or Berkeley Community Chorus are suggested.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Bruce Gillies
2 Entries
Bob Fearman
February 3, 2020
Each time Bruce saw me at BCCO rehearsals or events, he greeted me with a smile and twinkle in his eye. I was always touched and appreciated his welcoming friendliness.
Will miss the spark of our visits...
Diana Altorfer
January 27, 2020
Our little chats on the phone of late; listening to jazz on CDs in the living room; the twinkle in his eye when he was telling a story; his subtle sense of humor; his fun laugh; reading the Christmas story one Christmas; the big hug whenever we came to visit....
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