Bruce Tobey
Bruce Anderson Tobey, 72, of Hopkinton as well as Ocean Park, Maine, husband, brother, father, uncle, grandfather and friend, passed away peacefully on Oct. 17 following a brief illness. He departed this life a champion of and hero to all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Born on July 27, 1950, to Chester and Barbara (Ledger) Tobey in Needham, the oldest of four siblings. Bruce graduated from Needham High School in 1968 and went on to attend the University of Miami. It was there that he began his love affair of all things Miami Hurricanes. There was rarely a Canes game that went unwatched or recorded for later viewing. Following his graduation from Miami, Bruce completed his education at Babson College, earning an MBA.
Bruce married the love of his life, Jill (Kennedy), on Oct. 19, 1974. They met in Ocean Park, Maine, as teenagers and then built their life together for 44 years in Hopkinton. Bruce was an ambitious businessman and excelled as a chemical sales executive, where his success allowed him to achieve an early retirement.
Following his retirement, Bruce dedicated his time to volunteering at Community Harvest in Grafton, where his love and skill of gardening helped to provide fresh food to the Worcester Food Bank.
Additionally, Bruce and Jill traveled extensively throughout retirement. A larger-than-life personality, Bruce made friendships all over the world. He collected lasting memories during these travels that he passed on to his adoring grandchildren who affectionately referred to him as their “Bubba.”
Bruce is survived by his wife, Jill, sons Christopher and wife Lee (Barnum), and Scott and wife Ashley (Smith), grandchildren Conor, Ian, Isla and Lillian, sister Susan and husband Lee Romano, niece Elizabeth Romano, and nephews Corey and Ryan Tieva and their families. He also leaves a vast network of lifelong friends who were more like family who will remember him forever.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester and Barbara, his loving sister Janice Tieva, and his devoted brother Eric.
While the void that he leaves is immeasurable, Bruce has left a legacy of love, charity and a dedication to family that his friends and family will continue in his memory.
A celebration of life will be held later in the spring in Ocean Park, Maine. He would also like to leave you the way he left all of us, write if you get work.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Callanan Cronin Funeral Home.
Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.
A great loss, Bruce Tobey my neighbor in Ocean Park. I loved chatting with him. You’d learn something new every time. Just last summer Bruce told me how he and his brother Eric built the deck on our house years ago. Bruce was a man of character and lived life happily. Deepest sympathies to Jill, Scott and Christopher and the whole Tobey family.
A great picture and write up that captures Bruce’s spirit well. Although I just met him in OP a couple summers ago, we instantly formed a bond. I greatly loved hearing his stories of his family. We also shared stories of days gone by in OP. He loved his wife, kids (“the boys@ and “his girls”), the beach, the Hurricanes, golf and friends. The Rogers family will miss him greatly! What a great friend.
Hill and family , I was so sad to hear of Bruce’s passing . Cherish the memories. Love Brenda MCGrath Nadeau
I am shocked and heartbroken to read about Bruce‘s passing. Bruce was the “handsome big guy” in the cottage across the street on Ancona in Ocean Park when I was a girl. The captain of the Tobey sports team, the accomplished teenager, the ever-friendly, always serene gentleman, I loved catching up with him, every single summer. My heart goes out to the family.