Past President Thomas Kazanowski of the Coastal Heritage Bank was Chair of the event and Master of Ceremonies held April 1 at the Commercial Club where Bruce Marquis, owner of Salon Esprit in East Bridgewater was named. Bruce has been a Rotarian since 1974 and a member of the Bridgewaters club since 1998.
Bruce Edward Marquis was born to Gladys Leydon Marquis and Robert James Marquis in Boston, Massachusetts in 1944. Growing up in Newton, MA, Bruce graduated from Newton High School in 1961. After attending Newton Junior College, he migrated to Denton, Texas, graduating from North Texas State University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in History. In 1971 Mr. Marquis received his Master of Arts in History from Boston University.
Bruce married Lucy Lombardi Marquis in Brighton, MA in 1967. They have two children: Kim Marie Dangora, who lives in Quincy, MA with her two children, Zachary and Joshua, and Bruce E. Marquis, Jr. (“Ted),” who lives in Jamaica Plain, MA. Lucy and Bruce will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this coming August 26th.
Originally trained to be a secondary school social studies teacher, his career took a turn when he was employed as a program director at the Greater Boston YMCA in 1970 while a graduate student at B.U. Bruce later had other management and executive positions with the Massachusetts Easter Seal Society; New England Spinal Cord Injury Foundation; Boston Center for Independent Living; National Spinal Cord Injury Foundation; National Easter Seal Society; Massachusetts Head Injury Association; Boston Living Center; Northern Lights Alternatives New England; Cornerstone in Lynn, MA; and the Information Center for Persons with Disabilities. He also served on the faculty of Northeastern University’s University College from 1978-1998, teaching courses in health care delivery to evening students. During his time working on behalf of persons with spinal cord injuries Bruce served with Bob Hall as co-founders of the National Wheelchair Marathon, run in conjunction with the Boston Marathon since its inception in 1977, and he managed the creation of 7 Independent Living Programs serving individuals with severe physical disabilities in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In the business world Mr. Marquis worked as General Manager of Sani-Tech, a division of Sid-Mar Enterprises in Holbrook, MA, from 1981 until he opened his first business – Results Service Co. in Norwell, MA in 1984. Then in 1988 he bought a beauty salon and over the years since has operated 11 different salons leading to just one operation today – Salon Esprit in East Bridgewater, which opened in 1990. He was one of four founders of the East Bridgewater Business Association in 1993 and Bruce served as its President from 2010-2011 and as its Treasurer for many years.
During his several diverse careers, Bruce Marquis has found the time to be an active volunteer in many non-profit and human service organizations, including the Governor’s appointed chairperson of the Statewide Advisory Council to the Office for Children (1976-1978); President of the Massachusetts Health Council (1982-1984); Chair of the Board of Governors of the East Bridgewater Family YMCA (2001-2004); and Chair of the Board of the United Way of Greater Plymouth County (2004-2006). Also, he coached his son and daughter in youth sports in Newton, (baseball, basketball, soccer and softball) and he has coached his grandsons in Quincy youth sports (baseball, basketball and football), the highlight being his Squantum Storm winning the Quincy Youth Football League title in 2014, his last of 5 years as the team’s Franchise Holder. Bruce Edward Marquis was raised as a Master Mason in 1994 at the Wampatuck Lodge in Hanson, MA.
Bruce says he “feels honored” to join the outstanding group of past Rotarians of the Year from his club: the late Russell Ball and Red Brittain; Terry Humfryes; Ed Meaney and Beth Roll Smith.
Submitted by the Rotary Club of the Bridgewaters
