Edward Bruce Selfridge, Jr.

Edward Bruce Selfridge, Jr. died suddenly at his home in Forked River, NJ on June 16, 2020. He was eighty years old. Bruce was born in Plainfield, NJ on June 18, 1939, to the late Edward B. and Eleanor Drake Selfridge. He graduated from Plainfield High School in 1957, and from Bethany College, WV in 1961 with a degree in sociology. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ. Bruce served with the Headquarters Company, Third Army (Old Guard) from 1961 to 1964, at Ft. Myer in Arlington, VA, where he helped conduct standard and full honors funerals, welcomed visiting dignitaries and escorted parade routes. Upon ending his service he worked briefly for Exxon, before becoming a Probation Officer, working with juvenile offenders in Monmouth County, NJ. In 1964, while bowling in a summer league, he met Elizabeth (Beth) Aimeè Gouazé. They were married on August 21, 1965 in Arlington, VA. After several years in Probation he became a School Social Worker at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, New Jersey. There, he worked with special needs students, who all loved him as much as he loved them. He retired in 1999, leaving behind a career that touched the lives of many children and deeply enriched his own. Bruce was a man of many talents and interests—but first and foremost he was a collector. He dealt primarily in vintage soda memorabilia – bottles, clocks, signs—and visited flea markets in many states. He was a regular presence at New Jersey’s own Columbus Flea Market. He was also a collector of people. He had a knack for forging friendships with all kinds, from all over. Wherever he went in the collecting world, he was likely to run into an old friend, eager to sit and talk for a spell. One such friend commented that the world had lost an unimaginable amount of knowledge and experience with Bruce’s passing. Bruce was a talented gardener, whose daffodils wowed the neighborhood and whose sunflowers grew fourteen feet high. For years, he and Beth grew Christmas trees in northern New York, bringing them back to New Jersey for sale. Bruce passionately loved sports. He assiduously followed the San Francisco Giants, New York Giants, Knicks, and Rangers. He had a lifelong devotion to the sport of bowling, and coached Southern Regional High School boys’ and girls’ teams—leading one of his girls to become state champion. He was an avid fisherman and boater, and he and Beth enjoyed going to their condo in Florida every winter. Bruce was a nurturing husband, father, uncle, counselor, and friend. His singular personality attracted lifelong friends from many different places and walks of life. He was a free spirit, he always talked straight, and he had an unflagging energy and zest for life. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Bruce is survived by his beloved wife, Beth; his son, Justin; his brother, Wayne and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was predeceased by his mother and father, and his sister, Carolyn. A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 22, 2020 at 1:00 pm at Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street in Flemington, NJ. Interment with Military Honors will follow at the Cherryville Mountainview Cemetery in Cherryville NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in his name to the Southern Regional High School Scholarship Fund, 90 Cedar Bridge Road, Manahawkin, NJ 08050. For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.