Necrology

Bruce Elliott Fritzson '72

Nov. 1, 1950-Feb. 9, 2023

Bruce Elliott Fritzson ’72 died on Feb. 9, 2023, in Scarborough, Maine. Born in New Britain, Conn., on Nov. 1, 1950, he came to Hamilton from the Kingsford School in West Hartford, Conn. On the Hill, he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and majored in economics. He was interested in intramural sports, particularly soccer and basketball.

From Hamilton, Bruce proceeded to the Rutgers University Business School, where he earned a master’s degree in business administration. He became a certified public accountant in 1974 and moved to Yarmouth, Maine, to join the accounting firm of Arthur Young & Co. in Portland. Also employed there as a bookkeeper was Dawn Leslie DeRice. She and Bruce subsequently married, and their family included three daughters from her previous marriage.

As Bruce’s career unfolded, he moved up the ranks at Arthur Young, eventually becoming a principal. Following the company’s merger with Ernst & Whinney to become Ernst & Young in 1989, Bruce left to become a partner in the accounting firm of Otis Atwell & Timberlake (later Otis Atwell) in Portland.

Bruce found the work rewarding, taking pleasure in assisting customers with a variety of accounting services. He also knew when to take a break: at the end of a busy tax season, he and his family traveled to Florida or other warm destinations, including the Turks and Caicos and St. Martin in the Caribbean, as well as Mexico and Hawaii.

Golf was his avocation. Having played at several courses around Portland and in the process making contacts with a number of players in the area, in 1985 he became actively engaged in the development and promotion of the Falmouth Country Club, even before it opened in 1987. He eventually served on its board of directors and, for many years, was part of a foursome that played there regularly on weekends.

His first marriage having ended, Bruce married Deborah Milton in 1994. They had two daughters, and their marriage lasted 10 years.

In the evening of the day he retired in March 2014, he had a blind date with Vicki Whited. This led to subsequent dates, and they were married in 2021. They divided their time between Scarborough and Sarasota, Fla.

Bruce was a loyal alumnus of the College, donating to the Hamilton Fund for 43 consecutive years and serving as a volunteer for the Career Center.

Bruce E. Fritzson is survived by his wife, Vicki, two daughters, and three stepdaughters.

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