Bruce Harold Summers, age 61, was surrounded by his family and friends as he went home to be with the Lord on April 21, 2024. While it is an impossible task, we will attempt to sum up the full and vibrant life of our Bruce in a few paragraphs.

Born to Mary and Bruce Summers, he grew up in a loving home in Santa Cruz, California, and was the youngest of three children. Bruce, or better known to his friends as “Bruiser”, had an idyllic childhood. It was filled with summers spent swimming at the Pasatiempo Pool, football at the 6th fairway, making skateboards, creating bike trails, sailing his Hobie Cat, and learning how to fix (and break) anything he could get his hands on. Bruce excelled in several sports including track & field and football. While playing quarterback during the 1980 football season, he scored the last-minute winning touchdown to beat the cross-town rival, Soquel. This was a feat rarely accomplished in those days. After graduating from Harbor High School in 1981, Bruce went on to attend California Polytechnic State University from 1981 to 1987. He was a proud member of the Theta Chi fraternity, rugby team, and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Bruce enjoyed challenging his mind working in various technical industries. He spent 4 years with Lockheed Martin in Burbank supporting aerospace, 24 years in Seagate’s tape head industry, and 17 years with United Launch Alliance and Lockheed Martin at what he called the “rocket farm” on Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Bruce married the love of his life in 1990 and together they raised three wonderful daughters on the Central Coast of California. In addition to being devoted to his family, he was truly a man of God. His strong faith and dedication to his family was a blessing. Bruce loved spending time with his family, lifelong childhood friends, fraternity brothers, local friends, and work colleagues. His friendly personality and dry sense of humor fostered a wide-reaching community of which he and his family will cherish. Bruce valued each relationship he built and welcomed every new friend into his family. He modeled this to his daughters, displaying a perfect example of a loving father, husband, and friend. Bruce took great joy in volunteering to support all of his daughters’ activities –coaching their soccer and Destination Imagination teams and operating the high school’s scoreboard. Bruce even caught himself a box seat at Cal Poly’s football games as the play clock operator. As an avid cyclist, skier, runner, hiker and triathlete, Bruce had an insatiable appetite for challenges of physical endurance. Whether it was beach dune runs, body surfing, bike rides up High Mountain Road, or hikes on the ridge behind their home, Bruce always encouraged his family to get out and enjoy the beautiful California sunshine.

Bruce will be greatly missed by all. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Maggie, their daughters, Molly, Claire, and Jane, son in law Chris Heckert, granddaughter Sophie, and his siblings Sandy Blackwelder and Scott Summers.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Bruce to the Rails to Trails Conservancy, a non-profit organization that creates and supports trails for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.

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