Funeral for Queen’s University Student Held in Westport CT

Published on: 2010/09/27 - in News

The funeral for Cameron Bruce, a first year Queen’s University student who died on campus earlier this month, was held Saturday afternoon at the Saugatuck Congregational Church in his hometown of Westport, Connecticut.

Hundreds of mourners packed the church to remember and pay tribute to the 18-year-old Engineering student, with many more in a church yard tent equipped with television screens to broadcast the ceremony.

Cameron’s father, Iain Bruce, thanked those who attended and expressed his family’s thanks for the comfort they received from the outpouring of support through letters, phone calls, e-mails and Facebook messages over the past two weeks.

In remembering Cameron, his father offered an anecdote from his son’s short time at Queen’s along, with a request for those attending the service.

He recounted a party Cameron had attended where he convinced his Residence floor mates to flush a cake down the toilet.

“So, when you go home, flush a cake,” Iain Bruce said, drawing laughter from the congregation. “Make sure you break it up first. And then take the piece of cake and flush it. Cam would appreciate that.”

The funeral began with “Fanfare for Cameron,” a piece composed  for the occasion by Westport musician Rick Dobrydney and played by Nicholas Mariconda – the band and jazz band conductor at Staples who taught Bruce for four years.

Two of Bruce’s other instructors, Jennifer Trahan and Paul Levi, from the Suzuki School of Music in Westport, later played Franz Schubert’s “Serenade.”

The ceremony concluded with the singing of “Peace of the River,” which is sung to end performances at New England Music Camp, which Bruce attended during three summers.

Cameron was buried at the Christ and Holy Trinity Cemetery and “Taps,” a song he was known for playing at many Westport events, was performed by James Ranti, the instrumental music teacher at Kings Highway School, where he first learned to play the trumpet.

Photos from WestportNow News:

Mourners gather outside the church

Church inside at capacity

Iain Bruce speaks to the congregation

Cameron’s friends and pallbearers

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Article based coverage by WestPort Now

Photo from the Saugatuck Congregational Church website