Friends

After the death of Blind Bear, his last home, his boat, was in the harbor of Monterrey Bay.  His friends remembered him with flowers and a tree. 

Here are a few of the excerpts written by friends on the sad news of his death:

I just flew back home to Monterey from Seattle last night to hear the news that Robert (Spaceman Bruce) had died. I got to know Robert as a friend as he spent the last few months here on the Monterey Peninsula. He was a true love, a generous heart, and kindness abounded all around him.

Garry Lee LeFlore shared:

Bruce was a nice guy - always polite- we had many conversations- He wanted me to go to his church - I gave him a ride one day and went out to his place so he could show me. he had a couple of tents and lots of folding chairs staked under one. on the way into his place there were several old stumps or fallen trees and he would have small figures and candles there.

Would... see Bruce most days as he liked to stand outside our building (WE had a Flower shop there at first, then later turned it all into our home.) So as I would come out the door, or go in I would see him and wave or talk to him.

The people of Seward were always concerned for him in the winter. he was out in the cold Louie, the Chief of police would put him in jail sometimes on real cold nights to keep him warm, and insisted he have shoes. They bought him a new pair of boots and told him he had to wear them .He didn't but he did carry them tied together and slung over his shoulder.

When I asked him why he wouldn't wear the shoes , he said he was doing penance for his dog.So many other stories about his house etc. But I manly remember what a kind person he was and how wanted to be liked but left alone to do his own thing.

Bruce kept his food in the refrigerator at the bakery, in the summer. which was nice of them to do that for him.

Bruce walked to the beat of a different drum, but he was excepted with a slight raised eyebrow. I liked him! and the world was better 

from Roberts baby sister:

I saw that you picked up on the story about Robert and the house. It is true. During the summer of 1981 I received a distressing email from him, telling of an incident where he was kicked in the head by the owner of a building where Bruce would seek shelter in.  Bruce was sleeping at the time.

The lioness in me emerged and I called the Seward police department and introduc...ed myself. They did not know that there was a family behind Bruce that was in communication with him. The nice officer told me how the towns folk looked out for Bruce, would call in bad weather worried about him and they would bring Bruce in to shelter. I was very angry still about his being kicked so I went to my Parents and said that we had to do something about the situation.

My parents talked and Dad headed to Seward to try to buy a piece of land where Bruce had his temple. The owner could not be located or didn't,t want to sell so Dad bought him a little house. More to follow later.

Anonymous, 0n 'spaceman bruce':

I personally never had the chance to meet him, just saw him all around town. He scared some folks, but he was just a loner & preferred being homeless to living what the rest of us call a normal life. We missed him after he left town, heard he was walking to California, but Canada would not let him cross with no money & he had one conviction concerning marijuana. So he outrigged a kayak & made the voyage to California, stopping along the way at different places. I heard it took him 18 years or so. He wrote strange but some interesting & intelligient letters to the editor of the newspaper. Don't know what drove him to his lifestyle, but he probably was happier than most.

From Mike Mooter, long time Sewardite:

Hi, I found your posting about Bruce..  I remember him well from the 80s here in Seward.. thank you for the postings on his life...  A lot of people here knew him and we all wondered what happened to him... I did get an email forwarded to me that he was down there and it seems like just a month later heard that he was gone..  He was a man among men and I always will remember the times in the old Seward bakery and Burce.. He was truly free of all the chains of mankind< and we have to admire him for that..  Thank  you for sharing... Mike