WASHINGTON CROSSING PA — Bruce Michael Oswald, a retired banking executive, a successful gallery owner and a relentless volunteer who possessed a sweet tenor singing voice, died at his home on Jan. 27, with his husband of 43 years at his side. He was 63.

The cause of death was stage 4 colon cancer, which Bruce battled for six years, repeatedly baffling his physicians as he blew past several dire prognoses of his imminent demise. “You’re amazing,” his oncologist once told him.

Successful as his career was, it was never the paycheck or job title that was the source of Bruce’s joy or self-confidence. In fact, it was a lifetime of free labor that he gave to a variety of causes that uplifted him. That and his family and his husband of 43 years. It was a life of relationships that nourished him.

Born in Wyandotte, Michigan, his family moved to Pennington New Jersey when Bruce was 11. Shy at first, Bruce soon found his way to the school choir and theater group at Hopewell Valley Central High School, where he developed his smooth tenor voice. He would recall his elation after being cast in The Nutcracker at McCarter Theatre in Princeton.

He spent summers volunteering at the Open Air theatre in Washington Crossing State Park, was the ‘O’ in a quartet in the H.O.W.L Singers and joined Princeton’s Trinity Church Men and Boys Choir. That year, the group toured Holland, Germany, and London where they recorded an album of 3 Motets on Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins: Rejoice!

His first full-time job was as a bank teller for New Jersey National Bank at the College of New Jersey (then called Trenton State College), where he met shaggy-haired bartender named Lonn Braender who managed the student pub in the student center. Lonn had a habit of showing up at the bank, asking for change just before Bruce got off work. Next came an invitation for a beer, a request for a ride in Bruce’s convertible, then an invitation to a sock party. They traded vows in 1988 albeit not recognized, joined again in a civil union in 2009 and finally legally tied the knot 2019 in a simple yet heartfelt ceremony.

Married Life

They bought their first home 1987 years later — a tiny cottage tucked into the woods along the Neshaminy Creek in Pennsylvania. They spent an entire summer digging footings, carting cement, and replacing beam and joists. They sold the structurally sound cottage and moved into their current home in Washington Crossing in 1992. A solid ranch, bordering the state park and nestled between the river and canal, with a built-in pool. That first summer they started hosting weekend pool parties, which grew in both size and duration. They’d start Friday at 5 pm and ended Sunday night or Monday morning. Family, friends, neighbors, – kids, teens, adults and dogs all joined the fun. Some stayed for hours, others for days.

In September of 2004, on the day Bruce and Lonn were to open an art gallery, the Delaware River swelled from the remnants of a hurricane and filled their house with muddy water. They lost almost everything. After the tears were wiped away, Bruce, took charge of a long recovery process in which the house was raised and rebuilt. Working full-time, he also helped their new art gallery called BOI’s of New Hope. The gallery was Bruce’s idea. Lonn was a painter and mentioned looking for a tiny space to exhibit his work. Bruce had bigger ideas, however, and they purchased a beautiful 1850’s brick building, which immediately became one of the most respected art galleries in the area.

Bruce’s fondest for auctions and antiques led him to auction houses, flea markets, and art dealers to fill the gallery. He once convinced Lonn to go to Paris to bid on an original Louis Icart painting. They didn’t win the bid but fell in love with Paris. And even though colorblind, Bruce had a good eye for great art.

Then came the market crash of 2008. They sold the old building, and all of the unsold art turned into an impressive private collection. His last addition was in 2023 with an oil on canvas by American Impressionist Emil Gruppé. With the proceeds from the sale, they bought a cute townhouse in Rehoboth Beach, DE – Bruce’s second favorite after Washington Crossing.

Eager to give

Bruce was continuously immersed himself in a wide variety of Trenton causes and activities. In high school, he joined a local volunteer fire department in Titusville, NJ and soon gained accreditation as an EMT. His colleagues loved him for his enthusiasm, as well as the fact that he was the smallest member of the squad and could fit through car windows to assist trapped accident victims. He spearheaded local community events, including the Pro Cycling Tour in Trenton. He facilitated Trenton Downtown revitalization events, raised money for Trenton Soup Kitchen, cleaned up the a historic but forgotten cemetary, he served on the boards of the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton NJ for more than 20 years, and fifteen on the Trenton Public Education Foundation. He has supported the ASPCA for decades with both money and by adopted his share of pets.

In the course of his professional career, he worked for community banks and large national banks. He became Chief Retail Officer in charge of all branches and customer service for Manasquan Bank. But what he was most proud of were the people and staff he pulled along with him. He was the rare executive who knew every name, of every person, in every one of his branches – including part-time and summer tellers. He was viewed as a mentor, not a boss. And in return, Bruce’s territory was always a top performer. He was respected equally by those above him and below him.

One of his most cherished things in Bruce’s life came from a request from his sister-in-law, Lynn Braender who asked him to be her Lamaze partner. She wasn’t waiting to find a husband to have a baby. Bruce was there when Rachael was born and he’s been there ever since. It wasn’t babysitting to Bruce, it as if he was helping to raise Rachael. The bond between Bruce and Lynn’s daughter, is as strong as any.

The youngest of 5 to Patricia and Gilbert Oswald, Bruce is survived (on the Oswald side) by his siblings Gilbert, Timothy and Eileen, Pamela, Kevin and Maryann, 8 nieces and nephews, and 12 great nieces and nephews. On the Braender side, Bruce is survived by Michael and Lois, Patricia, Lori, Lynn and Jeff, Kim and Bob, 18 nieces and nephews, and 11 greats.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that charitable donations in remembrance of Bruce be made to the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton NJ. (barracks.org)

FitzGerald-Sommer Funeral Home
17 S. Delaware Ave
Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067