BRUCE

Richard had been, for many years, a very close friend of my uncle John Moran. He was also a very close friend of our entire family and spent many holidays with us and celebrated many special family occasions. I remember when I was 11 and having a slumber party. Richard happened to be staying with my family at the time. All ten of us eleven year old little girls, told ghost stories and pretended to be scared, Richard would come tell us that everything was going to be okay. He had that way about him. He could make anyone feel safe, especially a dozen little girls. My friends always developed little "crushes" on him. I remember Richard being around a lot, always with a huge smile and chewing tobacco. He camped with my family many times. He had always been around. I have known him my entire life. I always looked up to him.

As I got older and became an adult, I had several serious conversations with him. He was so brave and so wise. He was there for my family when another uncle was diagnosed and shortly after passed away from cancer. We went together to my uncle’s hospital room when he was really sick. Richard told him that he had to fight, he had to get better, that he was a person that everybody should get to know, and there were too many people in this world that hadn't met him yet. Saying that to my uncle on his death bed had such an impact on me and rang so true that I repeated it during the eulogy at my uncle’s funeral service. I am now forced to think of those same words that rang so true for Richard himself. Richard offered me a place to stay when I was 18 and going through a tough time. I sadly had lost touch with Richard over the last few years and haven’t been in touch with him since he first lived in Alaska. Even though, I hadn't spoke to him in awhile I had plans to go see him again there one day. I know he would accept me and my family with open arms. I am so sad that apparently, my husband, and small children will never know him.

This is so surreal to me. He was not the type of person you had to talk to everyday to be close to him. Richard called my uncle at my grandmother's house a few years ago from Iraq. It must have been right before he died. It was in the middle of the night and unfortunately my 90 year old grandmother accidentally hung up on him. No one ever heard from him again. My grandmother thought of Richard almost like a son and she has been so concerned since we hadn't heard from him. Every time I see my grandmother she tells me about that conversation and how she hopes to hear from him soon or that he will walk through her front door as he had done many times. He is always in her prayers. My uncle, Richard's best friend had comforted her with the "no news is good news strategy". I don't know how this could have all happened without my family being notified. We know his mother, his ex wife, his nephew and I know for my uncle, the list just goes on and on.

I had dinner with my grandmother a few weeks ago, again she mentioned Richard. I knew that she had been concerned so I told her I would do some research on the internet to try to locate him. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I’d find the information I found. I found the first article last night and it had only a very tiny picture of him and although I knew the smile, there was a woman reported as his wife. I was not aware of a new wife or small child. My uncle probably knows them, but since I didn't, I told myself that it must be another Richard Bruce. What a coincidence that this "other" Richard Bruce was also a Navy SEAL, an LA county Sheriff, taught at risk youth boxing, moved to Alaska and went to work in Iraq. I knew it was improbable but hoped that's all it was, a coincidence. There was no way Richard had died, and no way could he have died without my family being notified. I began a new search this morning, and was brought to this page where I found your email address and clear as day was a picture of Richard. I can no longer pretend this isn't real and it isn't him. I am now forced to share the news with my uncle, my grandmother and the rest of my family. I am just hoping that I can find out a little more information and/or get a little clarification before I notify them.

I am so sorry to have gone on so long. Any information you may have or can have emailed to me will be extremely helpful.

Regards,

Tina Kearney