H. Bruce Leslie

H. Bruce Leslie, age 94, of 1215 Main Road, Tiverton, RI, died on January 16, 2012, after a short illness. He was the husband of the late Ruth Nourse Patten Leslie. He was born in Danvers, MA, on April 13, 1917, to the late Thurman and Helen D. Smart Leslie of Danvers and Salem, MA. Bruce was a 1938 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1939 from M.I.T. He joined the Firemens Mutual Insurance Company in Providence, RI, in 1941 and held various management positions in Engineering and Underwriting during a forty one career with the Factory Mutual System. He was a Senior Vice President upon his retirement in 1981. He enjoyed his work and travel to visit major manufacturing facilities around the world. During his career he lived in Charlotte, NC; Scarsdale, NY; and Temple City, CA. In 1950 he moved to Warwick, RI, and in 1966 became a resident of Bristol, RI. In 1998 he moved to Tiverton, RI.In 1979 he was the United States representative at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva, Switzerland, which developed a study on Insurance of Large Risks in Developing Countries. He also served on study committees regarding such matters within the U. S. and European industry. He also served as the U.S. representative to the International Boiler and Machinery Institute for several years.Bruce was an avid recreational sailor and enjoyed sailing with his family on their 26 foot sloop, Spanker, on Narragansett Bay. During his active sailing years, he was a member of the Gaspee Point and Bristol Yacht Clubs. Supporting his sons activities, he served as a Director of the Greater Providence YMCA and the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was active in the First Congregational Church of Bristol, where he served as a Trustee and Deacon. He enjoyed vacationing in central New Hampshire and teaching his three sons the joys of hiking in the White Mountains.After retirement, he served on the Bristol County Water Authority Board of Directors, and was a volunteer at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol. He had been President of the Bristol District Nursing Association and a Director of the Visiting Nurse Association of Rhode Island. One of his major activities in retirement was completing a comprehensive genealogy of his and his wifes families. He also maintained interests in railroad and maritime activities.He leaves three sons: David and his wife, Jan, of Williamsburg, VA, and their two sons, Thomas and Coulter, and Thomas children, Olivia and Calvin; Richard and his wife, Jean, of Yarmouth, ME; and Stephen and his wife, Elizabeth, of Middletown, RI, and their two daughters, Rebecca and Emily. His brother, Hugh D. Leslie, and sister, Marjorie Swanson, predeceased him.The family is particularly appreciative to the staff and management of Sakonnet Bay Manor in Tiverton, RI, for their special care and support of Bruce and Ruth over the years.A memorial service will be held at Sakonnet Bay Manor, 1215 Main Road, Tiverton, RI, on Saturday, February 11, at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the First Congregational Church, 281 High Street, Bristol, RI 02809.