Sturbridge: Clifford Bruce Curboy, 73, known to most as "Bruce" passed away on July 3rd, surrounded by his family.

Bruce was predeceased by his youngest son Robert M Curboy in 2003. He is survived by his wife of 40 years Donna (Drogue) Curboy; his mother, Roberta O'Keefe of Springfield; his eldest son Clifford B. Curboy Jr, of Auburndale, FL; his daughters, Christina Norman and her husband Adam of Grafton and Sarah D. Curboy of Newbury, FL; his mother-in-law Marie R. Drogue of Sturbridge; four grandchildren, Melanie Fullum and her husband Dakota of Bloomingdale, NY, Gabrielle Curboy of Brooklyn, CT, Aidan Curboy of Danielson, CT and Ashley Curboy of Sturbridge; and two great-grandchildren Gage and Arya Fullum. Born July 19th,1950, the son of the late Clifford W. Curboy.

Bruce loved everything with a motor and worked in the automotive field as a skilled mechanic, often referring to himself as an "automotive surgeon". After high school, he served two tours in Vietnam before rejoining the civilian ranks as a neighborhood mechanic. Later, he discovered a second career when he started a Firewood and Property Maintenance business with his sons. Bruce enjoyed cutting trees, earning him the nickname "Grandpa Chainsaw ".

Bruce's garage was a source of pride for him along with collecting "treasures" while cleaning out old houses. Bruce enjoyed helping others, often in the form of auto repairs free of charge.

Bruce enjoyed life on the lake. An active member of the Cedar Lake Association for many years, he helped patrol the cove for speeding boats and assisted with water testing for weed control. Bruce enjoyed driving the boat over to the Host Hotel for dinner and pulling the kids tubing in the summers. In winter he checked the ice and cleared a rink for skating parties.

Bruce enjoyed being outdoors hunting, fishing, or watching the wildlife like the blue herons in the cove. A member of the Bay Path Archers club for many years, Bruce taught his children how to shoot a bow and arrow properly. Bruce loved junk food and candy and always had a fully stocked snack drawer for the grandkids along with a freezer full of freeze pops.

Please join us for a Celebation of Life for Bruce, commemorating his life journey from July19,1950 to July 3, 2024.  The Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 20th, from 3:00 to 7:00pm at the Hamilton Rod and Gun Club, 24 Hamilton Rd., Sturbridge.  Let us share cherished memories and reunite over a light lunch and indulgences from the snack drawer.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Bruce's Name to the Opacum Land Trust, P.O. Box 233, Sturbridge, MA 01566 or online at www.opacumlt.org.