Bruce Brenton Newell

Bruce Brenton Newell, 80, longtime Pepperell resident, passed away on September 1, 2024 with family by his side. He was a loving husband, doting father and grandfather, and friend to many. Born on January 17, 1944 in Boston, MA to George Avery and Norma (Corwin) Newell, he was the second of six children and grew up in Charlestown, MA. A graduate of Charlestown High School in 1961, Bruce joined the Air Force at 17 and served from 1961-1965. During this time, he was stationed in Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming as part of missile maintenance with SAC (Strategic Air Command). He was a Patriot and Veteran until the end.

In 1969, Bruce married his wife, Linda (née Stevens), and after spending time in Burlington, VT and Malden, MA, they settled in Pepperell, MA in 1974. There they raised their son and daughter, George (Avery) and Lauren. Together, they traveled to South Dakota each summer to visit grandparents and Florida in December to spend Christmas with his younger brother and family. Bruce spent his career working at well-known companies such as New England Telephone, Scientific Data Systems, Honeywell and Sun Microsystems/Oracle, the latter of which he spent 30+ years until his retirement in 2009. Outside of work, Bruce was involved in many organizations and was generous in volunteering his time with the Cub Scouts, as a Little League coach, Sunday School teacher, and selling Christmas trees with the Lion’s Club in his younger days. Upon retirement, Bruce and Linda could be found spending time with friends at the Albert Harris Senior Center, where he would help set-up and clean-up on Wednesday afternoons.

Bruce’s friends and family will remember him for his sense of humor, his story-telling and tales from Charlestown in the 50’s & 60’s, and his breadth of History knowledge. At one time, he had been an avid gardener who loved his tomato plants, growing corn and making pickles. And while unconfirmed, he may have been one of a handful of people to still order Frozen Pudding ice cream. Bruce enjoyed old black and white movies, particularly Western Cowboys, and was known for his knowledge of Silver Screen trivia. He cherished his travels to Nova Scotia as a child and prior to her passing, Bruce and Linda were able to make several trips to Europe to visit Italy, Switzerland and the Azores.

Bruce was predeceased by his wife, who passed on August 19th, 2022. They shared nearly 53 years of marriage together and he felt her loss immensely. He was also predeceased by four of his siblings; Ronald, Karen, George and Steven. He is survived by his son George Avery Newell (Christie) of West Townsend, MA and their son Lucas; and Lauren Miroshnikov (Evgeny) of Pepperell, MA and their children Alexandra and Anton. He also leaves behind his brother; Douglas, many extended family members, former colleagues, and friends, who all contributed to a life well-lived.

His family would like to thank the staff and fellow residents at Nashoba Park Assisted Living in Ayer, MA for making his last 9 months comfortable and sociable, and which allowed him to continue living independently.

A Celebration of Life will be arranged at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306 (www.t2t.org) or a Veterans support organization of your choice.


Please see www.McGaffiganFuneral.com