Discussion: Passing of Bruce McAlister

All,

It is with sadness that I report the recent passing of Bruce McAlister, a longtime pillar of the orienteering community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, a former President of Cascade OC, a Silva award winner, and more importantly a friend and mentor to many who was always ready with a helping hand and a smile. I'm sure many orienteers around the US got to know Bruce during his many years of service to the sport. Bruce had been in a nursing home for the last year or so, and passed away about a week ago. We will miss him.

Here are just a couple remembrances from Cascade members. Feel free to add your own.

"Bruce received the 2005 Orienteering USA Silva Service Award. This is the highest honor in orienteering in the USA. Bruce was the first recipient from the Pacific Northwest, and the only Washingtonian ... . I was with Bruce at the 2005 USOF AGM in Bend, Oregon, when the award was made, and we were both pleasantly surprised.

Bruce was a long-time member of the USOF Board of Directors in the 1990s and early 2000s, and was our only representative from the Pacific Northwest. He had a solid record of attending and contributing to Board meetings around the country. Bruce was also a long-time member, driving force and inspiration within the Sammamish Orienteering Club. For almost 25 years he created and updated many maps in OCAD, and set up and maintained the website. He was involved in many aspects of club administration and event planning and organization. Every June he hosted a Wednesday evening O' meet at Big Finn Hill Park, and a backyard BBQ at his home. For years, he was perhaps most appreciated by many as the BBQ man at our summer Wednesday evening events.

Bruce was a major early organizer and supporter of our junior O' development program in the Northwest. He organized and led national and international trips for juniors, and encouraged and supported them in their travels to major O' events, such as high school and college championships in the US and the Junior World Champs in various locations around the world. Over the years and at his own expense he provided numerous airline tickets to some of our top WIOL athletes ... so they could attend these events.

We have missed Bruce over the past couple of years, when he has been unable to participate."

"For me, Bruce really embodied what orienteering was all about. I didn't know him for a very long time, and I didn't know him when he was at his very most active in meet planning and in course setting and in racing. But I did know him to be a very kindhearted man. The Wednesday evening meets are the only example I need to draw from. As much as I love competitive electronic-driven orienteering with split times and tons of data, there was something about the casual barbecue meets that reminded me why I started orienteering in the first place.

The why is harder to put into words, but I do know where I started orienteering -- that would be none other than Bruce's backyard nearly 8 years ago. He taught an elective course for my junior high school one day, and I was hooked. Bruce, you will be missed."

Very sorry to hear of his passing; while I never met him personally, I have heard much of the impact he had upon his community and the national program more broadly. My sympathies to everyone in that part of the country.

The first time I went orienteering was in the last week of eighth grade in June 2001. I thought it sounded fun, so I got my mom to drive me to one of the Wednesday night meets at Big Finn Hill Park. Bruce was running the meet from a lawn chair in his front yard. When I announced that I was new and didn't know how to orienteer, Bruce said he would teach me. He not only showed me how to read a map, but conveyed in that initial conversation a sense of why the sport was fun. While I was out on the course, Bruce was busy talking my mom into driving me all the way to Cle Elum two weeks later so that I could walk a more difficult course alongside him. He was extraordinarily generous with his time, even with a 14-year-old who didn't know what he was doing. His goal was always to get as many young people to enjoy orienteering as possible, and, even as a high school student, I appreciated how hard he worked to give people that chance. During the WIOL season, he used to cajole us week after week to attend the Interscholastic championship meet, offering horrendous itineraries from his own stash of frequent flyer miles to anybody who proved reluctant. I remember Bruce trying to sell me on one route that took two different airlines and stopped in three different airports. When in the end he got a big group of students to the meet -- and, somehow, he always did get them there -- his joy was unmistakable.

I met Bruce on visits to the now-forgotten APOC, and thought he might be a man of some influence. I am happy to hear about why, and sad too. Goodbye Bruce.

Very sad to hear the news. Bruce will be missed in the US orienteering community.

Had many interactions with Bruce over the years. He was very dedicated to the growth of our sport. Sorry to hear of his passing.

I had a number of interactions with Bruce such as when he brought juniors to our A meets in CT or on the Sanctioning Committee. The fondest is evenings at Yellow Pines during the 1000 Day back a few years when we would gather with the NY Times crossword and do a crowd solution. A very supportive soul.

My first encounter with Bruce was during a brief stint on the (then) USOF Nominating Committee way back in 1991. I was cold-calling prospective Regional Board Representatives and Bruce was one of the two who accepted my invitation to run/join.

From that time until (I think) about 5 years ago, he was a fixture at A-events all over the country. His donations of frequent flyer miles/awards were an innovative way to support junior travel from the somewhat O-isolated PNW -- one which could be worth reviving on a national basis...

Bruce will be missed, but his legacy will outlast many of us.

It should also be mentioned that Bruce played a large administrative role in putting on several of the early west coast rogaines. He certainly played a supportive part in so many aspects of orienteering in this country.

Bruce was a true gentleman, with the wisdom of a rabbi, the bearing of a grandee, and most importantly, boundless kindness and grace. I feel very fortunate to have known him; I am grateful for what he did and who he was.

So sorry to hear the news - Bruce was a great guy.

So sorry to hear about Bruce's passing. He was truely generous, big-hearted, grounded and kind, as many others have already said. I will miss his wit and smile.

I remember him running the food tent at all of the BEAST adventure races. He was always a great host. He had a smile that would light up a forest. He will be greatly missed.

https://www.facebook.com/beastrace/photos/pb.32230...

Bruce really touched many souls with his kindness, spirit, and wit. Not to mention his cooking abilities! Very sad to hear that he departed from this world. We all miss you Bruce!

Sorry to hear of Bruce's passing. I served with him for many years on the BOD. He was always one to speak his mind and represented his region admirably. Love seeing these stories about his local impact.

This is indeed very sad news. Bruce was a true gentleman and did a phenomenal amount for the sport. I always enjoyed my conversations with him and the fun he had working out the best deals in flights to the many A meets he attended. He will be sorely missed.

Very sad to hear of Bruce's passing. Growing up in COC-land and getting my start in orienteering through WIOL, I have many fond memories of Bruce. From him very generously offering juniors airline miles to get to meets all over the country, to him declaring with absolute confidence that he was going to teach me Norwegian in a weekend, to post bog slog pot-lucks at his house. Bruce's generosity, humor, and passion for getting kids involved in orienteering were legendary, and he will be sorely missed.

I feel fortunate to have attended one of the Wednesday summer events on a long summer road trip in 2007. And of course, I would see Bruce at any A meet I attended. Always with energy and enthusiasm for the activity and future developments. Passion.

Bruce was always a gentleman of the sport, and his tireless support of orienteering and especially the junior team will be long remembered. Bruce helped us get to where we are today. Not everybody always agreed with every one of Bruce's ideas, but you always knew he was one of our sport's most devoted supporters. He will be missed.