Bruce Lawrence Sweeney, who passed away Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009, was born Jan. 11, 1932, to Hugh J. and Laurene Jacobson Sweeney, in Helena, Mont. His formative years were spread from Montana, to Idaho, to Washington, as his father moved from town to town, teaching music and starting music programs in the schools, finally settling in Lewiston his sophomore year, where he graduated in 1949. At Lewiston High School, he developed his life-long passion for track and field.
Bruce then attended and graduated from the University of Idaho, earning a bachelor's of business administration, and became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He competed all four years in track and field, going on to become Idaho's all-time top scorer, as well as the college's record holder in the 120-yard high hurdles and 220-yard low hurdles. In his senior year he was awarded the Sigma Chi Province Balfour Award, given to the outstanding young man from the Montana, Washington and Idaho chapters for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, activities and scholarship. Bruce loved to sing and formed The Singing Sigs, a barbershop quartet, and he especially cherished his four years singing in the Idaho Vandaleers. Later he sang and competed regionally as a member of The Humble Four quartet, singing tenor.
Bruce entered flight training at Marana Air Force Base outside of Tucson, Ariz., being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force, and received his wings in December 1955 at Webb Air Force Base in Big Spring, Texas, flying T-33 and T-34 fighter jets. By the end of December the same year, he had married his college sweetheart, Marilyn Evans, who a year later gave birth to the first of their three children. He continued to compete in track and field for the Air Force, and was a finalist at the 1956 U.S. Olympic trials in the 400-meter hurdles. After his tour of duty, he returned to Lewiston to join his father in Sweeney Supply, a building supply enterprise originally begun as a war surplus store. In 1965, he and his father also joined two partners in the formation of Craftwall, Inc., a regional construction company.
While busy raising a family and managing his various business concerns, Bruce was always civically minded and gave freely and often to the local community and to the state of Idaho. For years, he coached Boys Club football and Little League baseball, was an assistant coach for the LHS junior varsity football team and was recruited to be head track coach at LHS for a year and an unpaid assistant for several more years. He continued as a track meet starter for the school and the Idaho State High School Championships for another 30-plus years, his love of the sport undying.
He served two terms in the Idaho House of Representatives from 1971 to 1974, then later an additional eight terms in the Idaho Senate, concluding his last two in 1998, where he served as the minority leader. He found time to serve one term on the Lewiston School Board; at one time had been chairman of the Parks and Recreation Board; served on the board of AIA, the State Building Code Advisory board, the Idaho Community Foundation Board, the Lutherhaven Church Camp Board, and was the president of the Washington-Idaho Symphony for two years and a board member for 12 years. He also served on the Idaho High School Activities Board. He was president of the Lewiston Civic Theatre when they acquired the present building - he and Harry Wall co-signed on the mortgage. He served as Nez Perce County Democratic chairman in between his stints at the House and Senate. Other boards he served on were the University of Idaho Foundation and the Idaho Transportation Board, which he was still serving until his passing.
He and Marilyn attended Trinity Lutheran Church in Lewiston, where they were married and where he directed the church choir for many years. For recreation, he loved to fly airplanes, compete in slow-pitch baseball, and mess around with boats on the Idaho rivers and lakes, in the San Juan Islands and the coastal waters around Vancouver Island. He took his boat, the Cascadia, through these coastal waters and to Alaska several times. He and Marilyn traveled extensively with friends and family. Just a day before passing, he had completed a week's fishing in Alaska with his two boys and two cousins from Minnesota.
The family will miss him dearly. May he rest in peace.
He is survived by his sister, Mary Hill; son Mark Sweeney; daughter Emily Schiller and husband JR Schiller; son Paul Sweeney and wife Rohde Sweeney; and grandchildren Chivonne Mraz and husband Jared Mraz, Ian Sweeney, Anthony Sweeney and Austin Sweeney.
Preceding him in death were his parents, Hugh and Laurene Sweeney; and a sister, Alyce Payne.
Memorial donations may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church for the restoration of the pipe organ, or to Lewiston High School for the improvements to Sweeney Field at Vollmer Bowl.
The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lewiston.
