Bruce Douglas Treleaven, of Verona, formerly of Montclair, NJ, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on August 11, 2018 while on vacation in Atlantic City, NJ.
Bruce was born Nov. 12, 1957, in New York City to Harry Treleaven, a senior ad executive at J. Walter Thompson, and Elsie Lawall Treleaven. After his family moved to Amagansett, NY he attended grammar school there, and later graduated from St. Paul's School of Concord, NH where he was co-captain of the varsity soccer team. He also attended Duke University in Durham, NC.
Bruce's natural affinity with people led to his success in a variety of sales and sales management positions, including the original Crazy Eddies retail store in Manhattan. At the time of his passing he was a partner of The Closet Engineer, a privately held firm engaged in luxury home enhancement projects throughout the Metro NY area.
In Amagansett Bruce was everywhere and knew everyone. Wherever he went, his arrival would be met with shouts of joy and laughter. In his teen years and early twenties he spent much of his free time at Indian Wells Beach where he was known as a renowned ocean swimmer and bodysurfer.
Bruce had an unparalleled ability to make friends from every walk of life, and word of his sudden passing produced shock and sadness in the innumerable individuals who count themselves in that group. He was effortless good company, with his phenomenal memory for jokes, razor sharp wit and brilliant skills as a raconteur. Bruce loved games of all kinds and was an outstanding poker player frequenting various tournaments in the area. He employed his bottomless store of knowledge on subjects as diverse as rock music and movie history, NY Yankees and other Major League Sports statistics and obscure technical arcana to captain numerous championship Trivia Contest teams in northern New Jersey where he worked and lived later in his life. His generosity, joie de vivre and boundless good humor were a tonic and a salve in good and bad times alike.
Bruce is survived by his sister Gwyneth Treleaven Claiborne and his brother-in-law Robert T. Claiborne of Fairfield, CT, his nephews Thomas Claiborne of San Diego, CA and Dylan Claiborne of Olympia, WA, and his half-brother Gregory Treleaven of Rockland, MA. He will live on forever in the hearts and minds of his family and many, many friends.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Bruce may be made to Operation Hope, Fairfield, CT and the Salvation Army, Montclair, NJ.