Bruce Hefke, educator and builder
Bruce C. Hefke – husband, father, teacher, builder, philosopher and punkin chunker - passed away Friday, June 17, 2016, following a yearlong battle with cancer. Bruce was 65.
Known for the shining dome that matched his humor and full beard that bespoke his intellectual bent and Mr. Natural persona, Bruce fully enjoyed life with his family, friends and students at Sussex Tech. He taught woodworking and carpentry skills there for 17 years and started their girls’ lacrosse program. He also took great pleasure husbanding his chickens, dogs and bees, and playing poker in his shop warmed by a wood stove burning scraps from his many projects. When it was his turn to deal, the big smirky smile that crossed his face signaled that the night’s game wouldn’t end without at least one round of Indian.
Bruce enjoyed the fine art of conversation. Fueled by icy glasses of Mount Gay and Coke - Black Pop in Bruce’s parlance -and an occasional chaw of Red Man, he would charge on into the night’s late hours discussing people, politics, religion, geography, inventions and the piles of histories and nonfiction that he devoured passionately.
He played a smattering of banjo, loved Jerry Jeff Walker, and for years recorded Saturday night folk music on WSCL. That gave him an endless supply of new music to keep him company while he was measuring, cutting, gluing, clamping and shaping wood to his will, nights and weekends, in his shop.
Classes and classes of his students would recite his basic carpentry wisdom: “Measure twice, cut once,” and its humorous corollary quoted from a hapless fictional carpenter: “Dammit, I’ve cut this board three times and it’s still too short.”
Born in Sewickley, Pa., Oct. 11, 1950, Bruce grew up in North Canton, Ohio before moving east with his carpentry skills and Whole Earth Catalog mentality to start a new life in Sussex County. He was one of the original carpenters restoring homes in Shipcarpenter Square in Lewes with Jack Vessels and Dave Dunbar. He then went into the construction business for himself along with his brother, Lance, and later with Chuck Larsen.
Bruce loved good cooking and especially homemade bread so it surprised none of his friends when he followed his nose into a bakery in Lewes, bought way too many loaves of fresh bread, and fell in love with the baker lady, Karen Johnson. They would have celebrated their 28th anniversary in October this year.
Together they had a son, Tyler, to whom Bruce has been entirely devoted. They made dozens of trips to travel-team lacrosse tournaments throughout the mid-Atlantic region.Those trips helped mold Tyler’s skills as a defenseman and the unique character that such extended time together builds.
When he wasn’t woodworking, wooing or waxing philosophical, Bruce found plenty of time for fun. He was an early member of the World Championship Punkin Chunkin organization and was among the entourage - along with John Ellsworth, Doc Pepper, Doug Hicks and others - who towed their mammoth slingshot of a chunker to New York. There, in the late fall darkness, they launched pumpkins down one of the city’s asphalt canyons under the watchful eyes of cameramen outside David Letterman’s Late Night Show. For many years, Bruce and his students at Cape, and then Sussex Tech, built chunkers and participated in the annual competition.
He was also a founding member and vigorous participant in the Lewes Philosophical Society, sometimes referred to as the Fullofscotchical Society, which involved strong drink, cigars, highbrow discussion and a variety of secret rituals.
Bruce had an instinctive reverence for his fellow human beings, especially the common man, and was always quick with a helping hand. He disdained arrogance and abuse of power. One of his proudest achievements was helping to found, organize and lead Sussex County Habitat for Humanity. As president for three years in its formative days, he took great pleasure in watching people join their sweat equity with the love and help of others to build themselves a new home for their families.
Bruce lived with great spirit, gusto and humor right up to the end, surrounded, as he often was, by the family, friends and students attracted by his magnetic personality.
He is survived by his loving wife, Karen Johnson Hefke, and his son, Tyler Hefke of Lewes; his sister, Leslie Woulfin (William) of Stone Mountain, Ga.; his brother, Lance Hefke of Brunswick, Ga.; his stepsons Raymond Foulk IV (Leah) and James Foulk (Chantelle); his stepgrandsons Dylan and Tyler Foulk; his nephews, Stefan Woulfin (Ashley) and Jason Woulfin (Staci); his great-nephew, Maddox Wolfing and his great-nieces Jessica, Isabella, Charlotte and Savanna Woulfin. He was predeceased by his parents, Harold and Margaret (Kinsley) Hefke.
Services for Bruce will take place at 3 p.m., Friday, July 8, at Parsell Funeral Home and Crematorium, Kings Highway, in Lewes. Visitation will begin at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, www.sussexcountyhabitat.org.
See Parsellfuneralhomes.com for further details.
