Vale – Bruce Borthwick

22 January 1929 – 16 June 2022

Bruce Borthwick will be warmly remembered for his musical career, both as an inspirational teacher and as an extremely talented player. He died peacefully on June 16 aged 93 and was farewelled at Warkworth Methodist Church. He was a father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather, the patriarch of the Borthwick family, whose life was given in service to music and his community.

Bruce was born on January 22, 1929 in Whangarei. He studied at Auckland Boys’ Grammar and began playing in brass bands at the age of 12 with the Auckland City Silver Band. The cornet and trumpet became his signature instruments. Despite starting out as an engineering student, his devotion to music was undeniable and, when he discovered he could study it at Auckland Teachers’ College, he switched to teaching.

Bruce met his beloved wife Jean in Whangarei and was married there in 1957, before buying their first home in Huntly in 1958. Jean gave birth to their first two children, Dianne and Murray, in the years that followed. In 1961 Bruce was appointed as lecturer in music at Hamilton Teachers’ College and, two years after that, their daughter Lesley was born. Throughout the early 1970s, Bruce was a popular, talented and well-loved music lecturer.

Bruce represented New Zealand at brass band competitions as a cornet player and conductor, winning many championships as a soloist. He became central to the Hamilton band music scene, assisting in forming and conducting the Hamilton Citizen’s Auxiliary Band and Bavarian Band, as well as continuing to conduct the Waikato Armed Regiment Band, playing principal cornet for and later conducting the Hamilton Citizen’s Band. Bruce performed live with numerous bands, duos, trios, choirs and orchestras, including appearing on radio and television.

As a teacher, Bruce is remembered as someone who never stopped learning and as a mentor with mana, who led by example. He was a highly trained musician, with three Trinity College of Music diplomas, in trumpet, cornet and conducting. When his early teaching qualifications were considered insufficient, he went back to study for a Bachelor of Education for his job as head of the Hamilton Teachers’ College music department.

On retiring in 1988, Bruce and Jean moved to Snells Beach. Here, he joined the Kumeu Vintage Brass Band and the Warkworth Brass Band. In 1989, he was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for public service. Although no longer working, Bruce continued an active life in the community. He became a croquet instructor and referee and was recognised for services to the Warkworth Civil Defence Organisation for emergency management. He played hymns at Snells Beach Community Church, much to the delight of the congregation, if not always the Reverend Simon Williams, who experienced his trumpet at full volume from the nearby pulpit. Together with daughter Lesley, Bruce continued to play at church services, parades and civic ceremonies as a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Band.

On his 90th birthday, Bruce was presented with a long service certificate by the Brass Band Association of New Zealand for 62 years playing in brass bands. He marked the occasion at Kumeu by playing the second movement of Haydn’s trumpet concerto from memory. In his Hamilton days, Bruce had always been known as the unofficial town bugler, playing at almost every Anzac Day parade and performing the Last Post for the RSA at many funerals for departed soldiers. That tradition continued in his new home, where he played the Last Post at Matakana and Leigh again this Anzac Day. Daughter Lesley fondly remembers Bruce saying he would give up the job when he made a mistake. He never did, playing perfectly right to the end.