J. Bruce Raven
J. Bruce Raven Meriden - J. Bruce Raven, 80, died on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 at Midstate Medical Center. He was born July 11, 1929 in Meriden, the son of the late J. Edgar and Virginia Ottilie (Stockburger) Raven. He was retired from 45 years of advertising illustration and design work. Bruce attended the Hartford Art School and Instituto Allende, San Miguel, Mexico. He is survived by cousins Lois Dutton of Meriden and Dorothy Dutton of Wallingford, as well as several second generation cousins with whom he enjoyed many family gatherings. Bruce taught at Gallery 53 and touched and helped form the lives of many aspiring artists. He generously shared his exceptional talent with his students. His passing is a profound loss to the Gallery and the art community. He also taught at the senior center and donated his time to create and paint the scenery for the Castle Craig Playhouse Productions. Bruce won numerous prizes and awards for his work and his paintings are part of the Meriden Arts and Crafts Association's permanent collection. Along with art, family, friends and community, Bruce had a great love for flowers, plants and his cat Lovie. Contributions in his memory can be made to Gallery 53, 53 Colony St., Meriden. Family and friends may pay their respects on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 8:30 to 11:00 AM and attend his funeral services at 11:00 AM at The Beecher & Bennett Flatow Funeral Home, 48 Cook Ave., Meriden. Burial will be at Walnut Grove Cemetery following the services.
We will always cherish the memories of Bruce and his unique personna – Bruce will be deeply missed.
Bruce’s absence will be felt by many, for many years to come. We all held him in such high esteem. With deepest sympathy, Jean Dalton
We offer our sincere sympathy to the family of Bruce Raven. We had the opportunity to meet him many years ago through a mutual friend at Repertory Theatre of New Britain. The Community of Artists and Art Lovers will miss him. (Southington Arts Council, Inc.)
Bruce has left a mark on my soul. I wish that I had met Bruce much earlier than I had. His gentle and kind demeanor gave me comfort when he was in the same room as I. My sincere condolences to his family and dearest of friends. We have lost a great person on Earth and Heaven has gained an Angel.
I shall miss the phone calls we shared, the laughs we had and the times we watched the .classic. movies together at .887.. I know your colleagues will suffer an irreplaceable loss as will Meriden. Goodbye my friend.
Our hearts go out to all those grieving our beloved friend. This loss is especially painful for us as we were fortunate enough to have counted Bruce as a member of our family. After we moved away, if he did not hear from us, he would get worried and call Dan’s mother and ask her if she had heard from .the kids.. Bruce was very private, and I consider it a privilege to have been among those fortunate enough to have developed a deeply personal relationship with him. There was so much more to Bruce than his just his artistic talent. He was funny, eccentric, talented and intelligent. He had a passion for architecture and design and for Egypt. He had a kind heart and despite his own personal battles he always worried about everyone else. On our last visit to Connecticut we tried to get Bruce to move in with us here in the artsy retirement community of Fairhope, and we were always hopeful he would finally find the courage to make the move. I wish we had more time to convince him. Bruce will live on in our hearts and in our memories always.
Today is Fri. Christmas Day, and I am so deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend, Bruce. We have been the best of friends for 25yrs. My husband Jim and I are here in CT visiting friends and family for the holiday.I tried to reach Bruce this morning, and the operator told me the number was no longer in service..twice. I thought maybe he had changed to a cell phone. After a short while, we checked Google, and there was the(awful) announcement. We were going to surprise him with our holiday visit, and now, my very dear and wonderful friend has surprised me! I am SO blessed to have had Bruce as a part of my life, sharing his knowledge of plants, art, our love of cats, holiday parties, Saturday movies, and so many other memories. I am looking forward to seeing him once again when it is my turn to go Home. I love you Bruce! xxxooo