I heard the accident from my home. It sounded like a huge glass container filed with sand was dropped from the sky...then the sirens. I can still see the car she was driving; a white and blue sports car. Pontiac?
I too remember that sad sad day...can still see the skid tracks on Tower Road...seems like they were there forever...at the gathering at Bruce's house I didn't know what to say to his dad other then ' 'I was sorry.'.. seemed prerty meaningless at the time...the look on his dad's face of total despair...in our younger years Bruce played organ in our makeshift band - remember that his dad really took an interest...used to practice in Bruce's basement... Bruce had a Baldwin organ and a Farfisa -- both had a wonderful sound...I also remember his Dad running the reel to reel as we rattled out Gloria and Louie Louie among others...wonder if those tapes are still around?
That is correct Forest Way Drive...I for one was part of a 3 some who sat in the back and also took one of those insane rides down Forest Way...not sure what was going on at that time but I do remember the driver - a guy - was from our neiborhood -- older then us -- I think around 3 years maybe 4 --- I can still see it -- speeding down that road - we barely missed an oncoming car - barely got away with our lives...going upwards past 60mph...can't remember who was in back with me - but I do know we were all from the same little area on that side of town...
Greg Merdinger and I had lunch that day; the Firebird went speeding by us on Happ Road. I commented to Greg that driver is going to kill someone. That afternoon I was hanging with Greg, Barry Sitnick, Bruce and others on that warm windy spring day. We saw the Firebird being recklessly driven around West Glencoe. Later, I drove my mother to the Metra Station in Hubbard Woods and heard the sirens. Curious, I drove to the tragic site and saw the Firebird wrapped around a tree. Being unaware who was in the car, I called Greg and said, remember the Firebird? I just saw it wrapped around a tree on Forest Way Drive. Greg dropped the phone and screamed; that’s when I learned that Bruce was in that car. Coincidentally, Barry was about to go on that drive as well, but his mother called him home for something. I’ll never forget Greg’s reaction to my call.
I have also been reflecting on the joy of having Bruce in my life and the youthful joy
that we shared.
Being car valets at his parents party,(no one asked for our drivers liscence, we where 15)
(I wonder if that guy ever noticed that i accidentally ripped the molding off the side of his car when i clipped another
parked car.)
camping in the forest preserves and cooking beans in a can over the fire, stealing cigars from the 7 eleven,( don't worry, they have been paid back. :-) , we would have bought them if they would have sold them to us)
making stupid recordings on his reel to reel recording machine,( i would love to hear those tapes and i would love to see the look on the face of the people that have listened to them, they where quite ridiculous and irreverant) building a go kart out of an old lawn mower.(the green machine with the spark plug that would shock your butt when it hit a bump and touched the metal seat) I remember crashing it into a car with the driver of the car sitting inside his vehicle watching as Bruce tried to stop the green machine, it was going about 2 miles and hour it was all in slow motion. needless to say the green machine needed a little work, the term that comes to mind that would discribe it was, Janky.
Driving his mothers car back and forth in the driveway, ok, and maybe a few times on the street when no one was watching.(his mom was not happy when we got it stuck in the snow in the driveway, she did get it out by pushing her foot to the floor and leaving it there till it got unstuck, i think the car needed new tires after that, tire smoke and the smell of burning rubber everywhere.)
I could go on for a while here. anyways...
Thank you for the memories Bruce. He touched a lot of lives in his short life and is still missed.
I didn't know Bruce or Larry very well, but remember the sad circumstances perfectly. And a couple people have asked me about or mentioned the runs we took on Forestway Drive. When you're 16, you're invinceable and what we used to do was take "track runs" from Willow to Dundee and back, blowing the stop sign at Tower. That wasn't a smart idea, of course, but we did it anyway. In 1971, cars didn't exactly handle like cars of today, nor did they have safety features, and it was somewhat of a miracle no one else was injured or killed. That can also be said of drag racing in front of the school (it's exactly ¼ mile from the Winnetka/Happ intersection to the flag pole), on the old Lehigh by the former air base, heading west on Willow from Shermer..... the things you did with 440 cubic inches and well over 400 horsepower.
I can't remember the exact date but I landed at Palm Springs Airport, where my mother lived and it must have been in the late 1970's or early 1980's because the Glencoe house was being sold. When attending USC, I would sometimes go to Palm Springs for the weekned since the house was purchased in 1975. I landed at Palm Springs Airport, when they used to let you walk down the stairs and on the runway there and I look down from my airplane window and going down the airplane steps is Jennifer with a gray haired lady. I don't know who the lady she was with? I didn't feel comfortable trying to catch up with them as well.
I heard about the accident on the early morning local news on televison and it seemed bizarre before school.and I remember Mr. Cox spilled the beans over the speaker during advisory. Driving to school I remember listening to WLS and they had a Roy Orbison song on, "Dream Dream Baby".. Sort of bizarre too because with what had transpired with the accident and in the song lyrics, "How long will I Iive?."
I once tailgated Ginsberg in a carpool at Tower and Forestway Drive af the four side stop sign intersection and going north and he opened my driver door and slammed it. I guess people got crazy in the forest preserves.
Bruce was a nice kid back then and I can remember him combing his hair looking in the mirror and looking just right in the lockerrom after pe class. His parents were nice and seemed to handle the condolence calls in a wonderful manner.
Linda Kirsch (Schwartz)
I remember that day like it was yesterday. I lost two of my closest friends.
Lindsey Murray
I heard the accident from my home. It sounded like a huge glass container filed with sand was dropped from the sky...then the sirens. I can still see the car she was driving; a white and blue sports car. Pontiac?
Larry Cohen
I too remember that sad sad day...can still see the skid tracks on Tower Road...seems like they were there forever...at the gathering at Bruce's house I didn't know what to say to his dad other then ' 'I was sorry.'.. seemed prerty meaningless at the time...the look on his dad's face of total despair...in our younger years Bruce played organ in our makeshift band - remember that his dad really took an interest...used to practice in Bruce's basement... Bruce had a Baldwin organ and a Farfisa -- both had a wonderful sound...I also remember his Dad running the reel to reel as we rattled out Gloria and Louie Louie among others...wonder if those tapes are still around?
Lindsey Murray
Not that it matters, but it was Forestway Drive. I can still envision the downed trees...
Larry Cohen
That is correct Forest Way Drive...I for one was part of a 3 some who sat in the back and also took one of those insane rides down Forest Way...not sure what was going on at that time but I do remember the driver - a guy - was from our neiborhood -- older then us -- I think around 3 years maybe 4 --- I can still see it -- speeding down that road - we barely missed an oncoming car - barely got away with our lives...going upwards past 60mph...can't remember who was in back with me - but I do know we were all from the same little area on that side of town...
Wayne Fetman
Greg Merdinger and I had lunch that day; the Firebird went speeding by us on Happ Road. I commented to Greg that driver is going to kill someone. That afternoon I was hanging with Greg, Barry Sitnick, Bruce and others on that warm windy spring day. We saw the Firebird being recklessly driven around West Glencoe. Later, I drove my mother to the Metra Station in Hubbard Woods and heard the sirens. Curious, I drove to the tragic site and saw the Firebird wrapped around a tree. Being unaware who was in the car, I called Greg and said, remember the Firebird? I just saw it wrapped around a tree on Forest Way Drive. Greg dropped the phone and screamed; that’s when I learned that Bruce was in that car. Coincidentally, Barry was about to go on that drive as well, but his mother called him home for something. I’ll never forget Greg’s reaction to my call.
Robert Segal
What an incredibly sad time that was.
I have also been reflecting on the joy of having Bruce in my life and the youthful joy
that we shared.
Being car valets at his parents party,(no one asked for our drivers liscence, we where 15)
(I wonder if that guy ever noticed that i accidentally ripped the molding off the side of his car when i clipped another
parked car.)
camping in the forest preserves and cooking beans in a can over the fire, stealing cigars from the 7 eleven,( don't worry, they have been paid back. :-) , we would have bought them if they would have sold them to us)
making stupid recordings on his reel to reel recording machine,( i would love to hear those tapes and i would love to see the look on the face of the people that have listened to them, they where quite ridiculous and irreverant) building a go kart out of an old lawn mower.(the green machine with the spark plug that would shock your butt when it hit a bump and touched the metal seat) I remember crashing it into a car with the driver of the car sitting inside his vehicle watching as Bruce tried to stop the green machine, it was going about 2 miles and hour it was all in slow motion. needless to say the green machine needed a little work, the term that comes to mind that would discribe it was, Janky.
Driving his mothers car back and forth in the driveway, ok, and maybe a few times on the street when no one was watching.(his mom was not happy when we got it stuck in the snow in the driveway, she did get it out by pushing her foot to the floor and leaving it there till it got unstuck, i think the car needed new tires after that, tire smoke and the smell of burning rubber everywhere.)
I could go on for a while here. anyways...
Thank you for the memories Bruce. He touched a lot of lives in his short life and is still missed.
Greg Jacobi
I didn't know Bruce or Larry very well, but remember the sad circumstances perfectly. And a couple people have asked me about or mentioned the runs we took on Forestway Drive. When you're 16, you're invinceable and what we used to do was take "track runs" from Willow to Dundee and back, blowing the stop sign at Tower. That wasn't a smart idea, of course, but we did it anyway. In 1971, cars didn't exactly handle like cars of today, nor did they have safety features, and it was somewhat of a miracle no one else was injured or killed. That can also be said of drag racing in front of the school (it's exactly ¼ mile from the Winnetka/Happ intersection to the flag pole), on the old Lehigh by the former air base, heading west on Willow from Shermer..... the things you did with 440 cubic inches and well over 400 horsepower.
Lindsey Murray
What ever happened to Jennifer Potts?
Michael Stein
I can't remember the exact date but I landed at Palm Springs Airport, where my mother lived and it must have been in the late 1970's or early 1980's because the Glencoe house was being sold. When attending USC, I would sometimes go to Palm Springs for the weekned since the house was purchased in 1975. I landed at Palm Springs Airport, when they used to let you walk down the stairs and on the runway there and I look down from my airplane window and going down the airplane steps is Jennifer with a gray haired lady. I don't know who the lady she was with? I didn't feel comfortable trying to catch up with them as well.
I heard about the accident on the early morning local news on televison and it seemed bizarre before school.and I remember Mr. Cox spilled the beans over the speaker during advisory. Driving to school I remember listening to WLS and they had a Roy Orbison song on, "Dream Dream Baby".. Sort of bizarre too because with what had transpired with the accident and in the song lyrics, "How long will I Iive?."
I once tailgated Ginsberg in a carpool at Tower and Forestway Drive af the four side stop sign intersection and going north and he opened my driver door and slammed it. I guess people got crazy in the forest preserves.
Bruce was a nice kid back then and I can remember him combing his hair looking in the mirror and looking just right in the lockerrom after pe class. His parents were nice and seemed to handle the condolence calls in a wonderful manner.