Bruce Hix - 1946-2013

Since we received notice that our friend Bruce Hix passed away a few days ago, many have  come forward with stories about Bruce that they want everyone to hear.  If I receive any  more stories I will post them here.   Over the last 15 years heading up the reunion committee the one question I heard over  and over again at every event was "Is Bruce coming or has anyone heard from Bruce?".   Bruce was larger than life and yet he was a very private person and requested no memorial  service.  So this is our final tribute to our friend Bruce.  R.I.P.

From Dave Sholin Certainly not an email I was looking forward to send but early this morning our classmate, longtime friend and star athlete Bruce Hix lost his battle with ALS. As it turns out I was fortunate to have a last conversation with him yesterday afternoon. Other than dealing with a cold he was in fairly good spirits and we talked about the changes at Joes of Westlake and Jim Fotenos' name came up and he said right away.."smartest guy I know and a great linebacker!"  Still talking football.. and in fact he was watching the Alabama/Auburn game. It is sad but Bruce is in a much better place. What he had ahead of him was not good and  even at this stage he was extremely weak. He went in his sleep and he is no longer in  pain.  Luckily did not suffer in his final hours.  Bruce made it clear (more than several times) that he did not want any sort of funeral or  memorial so we can just honor his memory in our own way. R.I.P Bruce.    Dave Sholin ----------------------------------------  From Jim Fotenos Bruce Hix was the greatest athlete I've ever personally known.  As each of you know, he excelled in basketball,  football, and of course baseball.  He would have been a fine track and field athlete if he had had the time.  But  what made him truly great was that he was fiercely competitive and a leader.  We all knew that who played with  him. (His competiveness is captured in a yearbook photo of him tearing away a ball from a competitor on the  basketball court.)  I still remember his performance (and Marc Mallinger's) in the South City game.  He was  Westmoor's Joe Montana.  But for the seductive but destructive attractions of the Sixties he very well might h ave made it to the Bigs with the Giants.  And he had a great sense of humor.  Following practice the day before  a game, as was his custom, Matisi gave us a pep talk on the side of the practice field.  He cautioned us to take  it easy that night and get a good night's sleep. He specifically asked Bruce if he would behave.  Bruce answered  he then worked nights at a gas station):  "Don't worry coach, I'll just be pumping ethyl."  (Those under a certain  age won't get that joke.)  It was cruel fate that someone as physically gifted as Bruce would contract the  harshest of physically debilitating deceases.  Almost Shakespearian. Let Dylan sing our lament:   "May your feet always be swift   May you have a strong foundation  When the winds of changes shift   May your heart always be joyful  And may your song  always be sung   May you stay forever young   Forever young, forever young   May you stay forever young."   Your song will always be sung by us,  Bruce. It's unfortunate that there will no memorial.  There are many of us who would like to pay our respects.  Jim Fotenos -------------------------------------------------------  From Jane White Zang I was fortunate enough to have many phone conversations with Bruce and enjoyed hearing his voice.   He  certainly kept his sense of humor. We had some great laughs. I knew how hard this was for Bruce being  so active his whole life,  but did not hear a lot of complaints,  just his frustration     Will miss him much. No need for a memorial as all those great memories cannot be erased.     Jane White Zang    -------------------------------------------------------  From Allen Miller  I cannot express what a hero Bruce was to our entire school.  Though I did not hang in  his large inner circle, He leaves me to this day with burning memories of his great  athletic abilities and accomplishments on the sports field.  I would go to games just  to see him do what he did best.  I personally looked forward to seeing him again at our  next reunion. Death does not just affect the departed, but the hundreds of people who  have him in their heart and memory.  He lives on in those memories.  He will not be  forgotten for a very long time.  Over the years, I could always visualize his face in  my mind.  Few people have that great of an impact. Alan Miller ----------------------------------------------------- Label Promo Ace Bruce Hix Passes December 2, 2013 at 4:11 PM (PT) Longtime music promotion executive and accomplished athlete BRUCE HIX passed away early  yesterday morning from complications related to ALS. BRUCE excelled in many sports and in  1967 played for the SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS. Following his playing days he entered the music industry working for several labels, among them  WARNER BROS., MOTOWN and POLYGRAM. No services are planned. ----------------------------------------------------- Bruce Randolph Hix  Bats: Right, Throws: Right   Height: 5' 8", Weight: 165 lb. Born: August 27, 1946  (Age 67) Minors Batting Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB 1965 18 Decatur MIDW A SFG 121 443 121 19 5 12 .273 .420 186 1966 19 2 Teams 2 Lgs A-WRk SFG 132 493 156 27 5 10 .316 .452 223 1966 19 Giants AZIL WRk SFG 1966 19 Fresno CALL A SFG 132 493 156 27 5 10 .316 .452 223 1967 20 Waterbury EL AA SFG 52 198 170 25 42 3 1 3 22 0 1 28 22 .247 .354 .329 .683 56 1968 21 Fresno CALL A SFG 81 285 86 15 2 1 .302 .379 108 4 Seasons 386 1419 1391 25 405 64 13 26 22 0 1 28 22 .291 .305 .412 .717 573 WRk (1 season) WRk A (3 seasons) A 334 1221 1221 363 61 12 23 .297 .297 .423 .721 517 AA (1 season) AA 52 198 170 25 42 3 1 3 22 0 1 28 22 .247 .354 .329 .683 56 Minors Fielding  Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G CG Ch PO A E DP Fld% RF/G lgCS% PO 1965 18 Decatur MIDW A SFG 3B 121 355 92 234 29 .918 2.69 1967 20 Waterbury EL AA SFG 3B 52 148 37 100 11 8 .926 2.63 2 Seasons 173 503 129 334 40 8 .920 2.68 Teams Played For  Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff 1965 18 Decatur Commodores Midwest League A SFG 1966 19 AIL Giants Arizona Instructional League WRk SFG 1966 19 Fresno Giants California League A SFG 1967 20 Waterbury Giants Eastern League AA SFG 1968 21 Fresno Giants California League A SFG ----------------------------------------------------- From Ken Liss - 1966 WHS Subject: Bruce Hix passed away yesterday Some of you might already know and some might not. Bruce had AlS. I've known Jeff Trager since the 60's and knew he and Bruce were in the music biz. I asked him to write a little about Bruce for a Westmoor/Daly City Facebook page for all those people who only knew Bruce a little or practically not at all. If anyone has any Bruce Hix stories I'd love to hear them and pass them on to the Facebook group, if you're ok with it. ----------------------------------------------------- From Jeff Trager Thank you Kenny for the email. I knew Bruce in very special way. He really was like a younger brother. Bigger, stronger, maybe not as quick, and definitely couldn't jump as high as I could, we were attached at the hip in many ways. Same high school, same passion for sports and music, and women. Both stayed single and had a plethora of the same group of friends. I don't know if you know this, but I got Bruce not only his first job in the record business, but his second also. He later got my old job when I got fired from Polygram. I taught him a lot of the ways I thought he should be as a promotion man. He was a great student and turned out to be one of the best promo guys I ever knew. He was tenacious. Every music artist and group should have had Bruce promote their record. He actually took it personal when radio station wouldn't play the records he thought were hits. We traveled a lot. Hawaii, Mexico. It seemed everywhere I would go to run away from a girl friend or lost my job, Bruce would show up. We shared a suite at a house in Puerto Vallarta, and I think even shared a few Senorita's too. We had a lot in common. Rascals to the bone, we ran hard, and we ALWAYS seemed to have a great time. Playing volleyball against the locals in Mexico, with our old friends Jerry Nunnemann and Rodger the annoying Silver was an everyday event for Bruce and I. I remember that Happy Rockefellers' Finnochio son, just loved Bruce and would spend thousands of dollars on us at a local hot spot in Vallarta. He would say "Brucie, you should join our team". Bruce, being a man's man, diplomatically declined of course. Bruce had no fear. He even asked Liz Taylor to dance right in front of Richard Burton at the City Dump Club there. God, we had some great times. If I said I had almost a million stories about our relationship and adventures, I might be close to being right. He was quite frankly the most stubborn son of a bitch I ever met, God love him. When Bruce felt he was right, look the hell out. I loved his passion, I loved his laughter, I loved his zest for life. He was a unique human being. he was one of a kind. I know he is in a better place now. I am so blessed to have been able to see him on Thanksgiving. I know he told me he didn't want to see anyone, but maybe the Good Lord had a plan for me to just drop in on him. We talked about the old days, and we laughed, and yes physically, it wasn't the Bruce I remembered, but it certainly was the old crusty, opinionated, feisty friend that I will miss. Some day I will write a book, and there will be a whole chapter about the "Stump" as I would call him. "Hixie", you touched a lot of lives. That to me is a true essence of what this man was all about. You know the son of bitch said to me when I left him the other day. He said "You never could hit!" That was his parting words. You know what? He was right. Not even the great Hix could help me. Maybe I should put that on my tombstone. Jeff Trager could never hit! So say, Bruce Hix Jeff Trager ----------------------------------------------------- From Ed Perry Class of 64-Growing up in Westlake I played little league baseball for Les Richies  Flying A. Our nemeses and the team we could never beat was from Broadmoor.  Coached by Mr Hix and with two outstanding players his son Bruce and  Gary Mendoza that team won every year. Some things just stick.  Ed Perry ----------------------------------------------------- From Paul Biancalana That was a very sad email received this morning regarding Bruce. Allen Miller's email to you  regarding Bruce was expressed perfectly for those of us who were not in Bruce's large inner  circle. He was our "rock" and "foundation" during our high school years athletics. I grew up  knowing Bruce playing little league baseball and playing sandlot ball during high school. After  graduation, I was fortunate to meet Bruce in Arizona during the Giants spring training games.  I was stationed in the Air Force in Az and the times I was able to meet and chat with Bruce  was fun, he would leave me tickets in Phoenix and Tucson for the spring training games and  it was thrilling to see our high school hero almost making it to the majors. I'm not sure what  happened to his career after the 1968 season but that is the last time I saw Bruce. It  definitely brings tears to my eyes knowing he is gone. Paul Biancalana ----------------------------------------------------- From Rob Van Tassell  I just read the email about Bruce. I have a short story I want to include. I wasn't a part of  Bruce's inner circle, but I really looked forward to game day to be a part of his magic. He was  everything the others have already said. One event still sticks in my mind though. During one  game (forgot which one), I was playing offensive guard, and he called for a pass play. As he  dropped back to pass, two defensive players were charging him, trying for that big hit on the  star quarterback. My side of the line was holding up well, so I had no one to block. I turned  toward Bruce and saw he was going to get really creamed. Fortunately, he saw the two  attackers, and he started to roll out to his left. I decided "No way Jose", so I charged towards  the rushers and wiped them both out with one block. Bruce completed the pass, and life was  good again. Bruce looked me right in the eye and said "Thank You." To this day, in my years  of playing football and rugby, not one team leader or super star has ever said thank you for  something I did during a game, and I had several major contributions to my teams. Bruce  was a true leader. He was My Man.  Rob Van Tassell -----------------------------------------------------  From Ron Johnson As early as grammar school, Bruce and I were friends and rivals on the athletic field.  It seemed we were always the two guys choosing up teams at lunchtime for baseball,  football, basketball, or kickball. We started playing together in Cub Scout softball, moved on to midget baseball (little league today), and eventually junior baseball (ages  13-14). In 1960, our last year together before high school, Bruce's dad coached  Bruce and me, along with Gary Mendoza, Al Contrares, and Ed Perry to 3 league championships and 2 or 3 tournament championships. For our effort, Van Amburg  of KGO TV, channel 7, recognized our team as the best team in Northern California. As Freshmen, things changed. The Frosh/Soph team was a pretty good team. But I  didn't get a chance to pitch a lot that year, as Coach Carr said he had to get our  Sophomore pitchers ready to pitch at the varsity level the next year. As a result, we  ended up losing a lot of games 11-9, or 13-10. In the last game of the year, Coach  Carr finally let me start against Capuchino, a team that was 13-0, and had already  clinched the league championship. In the bottom of the 7th, we were leading 3-0.  With 2 outs, I gave up a single, and on the first pitch to the next hitter, the base runner  steals second. On the next pitch, Bruce, who is playing shortstop, calls for a pick off. I  turn and fire a strike to Bruce and we get the 3rd out. Only, the runner, sliding back into second, spikes Bruce in the left hand and the ball rolls away.......the runner is safe. After  attending to Bruce's cuts, Bruce calls for a second pickoff attempt. This time we get the  runner and the game is over. In the post game celebration, Bruce and I shook hands,  and Bruce said "This is the way the whole year should have been." That was the last game of baseball Bruce and I played together. The next year, Bruce  moved up to Varsity and I had a major falling out with Coach Carr and moved on to  play golf. As competitive and cocky as Bruce was, I always found Bruce supportive, with an ability to recognize the contribution of others. Thanks to Dave Sholin, I was able to visit Bruce early in 2012. As you would expect,  we talked a lot about sports and the old days. I began to realize that he too cherished  those early years when we were learning to be "jocks". This really hit home when, as  I was getting ready to leave, he gave to me several pictures and press clippings from  our early baseball years. I will cherish them for as long as I live. Ron Johnson ---------------------------------------------------- From Larry Siegel Of course Bruce was just a remarkable athlete. I remember he came down to the track & in Heavy sweats easily cleared the high jump bar.... But more memorable was he was just a good human.... Sad day for all of us Larry Siegel ---------------------------------------------------- For those of you that didn't see the Broadmoor Facebook page: Pam, Bruce's sister, released his ashes on Dec.28th at Lake Merced with his dog Sadie. It was at the site where his brother Bill's ashes were released earlier. The day was glorious and the sun shined on the spot the whole time. Bruce is now free of pain and can run, hit, throw and make baskets as we remember him in the old days!   Charlotte Bond char.bond@aol.com