- Date Of Birth: August 11, 1942
- Date Of Death: May 17, 2012
- State: Colorado
Bruce Leon Canterbury, 69, of Brighton, CO died May 17, 2012 following a long battle with COPD.
Bruce was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend who will be remembered as much for his kind and generous spirit as his sharp wit and sense of humor.
Born to parents Sterling Canterbury and Esther (Dahlinger) Canterbury in Brighton in 1942, Bruce was raised in Brighton and graduated from Brighton High School in 1960.
He thoroughly enjoyed attending his high school reunions to reconnect with schoolmates and reminisce on that very happy time of his life.
A multi-sport athlete Bruce was most proud of his accomplishments as a member of the Bulldogs varsity basketball team and being a junior champion sharp shooter in his youth.
After high school Bruce attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins for two years. He dabbled in a few different fields of work before discovering an interest and a great talent for sales. The majority of his career, 35 years, was spent in the ticket printing industry as a much lauded sales representative for Globe Ticket Co. His many honors as a top salesman earned him the opportunity to travel the world. With his wife Tina Canterbury, Bruce enjoyed traveling to Spain, Morocco, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He also made trips to Austria and Italy, an adventure he regarded as the favorite of his life.
A prolific storyteller, Bruce will be remembered by those close to him as having an amusing anecdote, story or memory to fit any topic of conversation. He also loved music and would often break into song-whether a naughty limerick, children’s song, rock ballad or a favorite country western tune, his beautiful voice drew an audience.
His love of sports continued throughout his life and he especially enjoyed watching his grandchildren’s athletic pursuits, even serving as a substitute coach for a granddaughter’s tee ball team, a highlight of his later years. He was also a loyal fan of the Denver Broncos and Nuggets.
Bruce spent much of his retirement years collecting and selling antiques, gardening and enjoying his favorite hobby-crossword puzzles. He enjoyed tackling even the most difficult-even MENSA level-puzzles. His extensive vocabulary and broad knowledge base led him to up the challenge by completing them in ink.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Walter and Sterling “Sonny” Canterbury and sisters, Elaine Morphew and Alwyn Anderson.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Tina; children Robert (Sandra) Canterbury, Andrea (David) Swayne, Diana Sena (Randy Sena, dec.) and Kris Griego; brother, Larry Canterbury; grandchildren, Alex Garcia, Rachel Bilagody, Taura Canterbury, Ian Canterbury, Madison Swayne, Alaina Griego; Miranda Sena and Vincent Sena; great-grandchildren, Sylvia (Alex) Garcia and Evelyn (Taura) Canterbury; nieces Sydney, Kelli Sue, Traci, Toni, Holli and nephews, David and Byron.
