EASTPORT – Bruce Earl McInnis, 50, died unexpectedly on Nov. 24, 2003, at his home. Born on May 30, 1953, in Portland, he was the son of A. Earl and Ruth (Jewers) McInnis. He attended school in Portland and was a graduate of the WCVTI Boat School, then of Lubec. He was a lifelong commercial fisherman and an employee of Federal Marine Terminals for more than 25 years. Bruce participated in many fisheries projects, including scallop and urchin collection studies. One of his favorite projects was catching and tagging codfish to track their recovery. Bruce was always willing to give of his time, whether taking researchers or photographers out on the water or representing Cobscook fishermen in groundfish meetings. He was an active board member of the Cobscook Bay Resource Center, even when it meant joining a meeting by cell phone from his boat, and he was president of the Cobscook Bay Fishermen’s Association. He helped win approval for a Cobscook scallop meat count, played an important role in convincing the legislature to create the Maine Scallop Advisory Council and was recently asked to serve on that council. The weekend before his death, he made a presentation to the governor’s task force on aquaculture. Bruce was known as a hardworking and giving man. His hobbies included history, Celtic culture and his family genealogy. He is survived by a son, Brandon Earl of Eastport; his mother, Ruth of Eastport, his father, A. Earl; his stepmother, Lorna of Portland; a sister, Pam of Kenduskeag; three brothers, Allan of Portland and Arran and Andrew of Seattle; a niece, Shannon Emery; a beloved grandniece, Rachel Emery of Eastport; two nephews, Jay and Jon Beveridge of Kenduskeag; and a special friend, Dorothy Perkins of Eastport. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 1 p.m. at the WCCC Boat School, on Deep Cove Road in Eastport, with a committal service to follow. Immediately afterward, all are invited to meet at Christ Church Institute, on Key Street in Eastport, for remembrance and a reception. Friends may donate to the Bruce McInnis Memorial Fund, in care of the Cobscook Bay Resource Center. The fund is intended to aid fisheries research and to provide emergency loans to area fishermen.
BRUCE EARL MCINNIS
