Reverend Bruce Holland tribute

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Bruce and Elaine 1955

overview

Rev. Bruce Holland (20-Oct-1927 - 27-Jan-2021) Dip Th. was a practical man of trade:

  • an electrical fitter at Dairy Farmers 1943 - 1950, and again
  • an electrical fitter at Dairy Farmers 1953 - 1956
  • an electrical contractor
  • a supervising inspector
  • an Amateur Radio operator
  • a Mason (from a long-line of builders) and

Bruce was also an active Rotarian, and volunteer during SES operations and fire-fighting, and he held electronic classes after school hours at various parishes, and was on several country hospital boards. He even took time out between all of this to donate blood.

Bruce studied at Moore College between 1950 - 1953 (with a short break to marry Elaine), and resumed studies to be stationed at West Tamworth as a Curate 1956 - 1959, and was installed as a minister in the parishes of:

  • Delungra 27 Jan 1959 - 26 Nov 1964, and
  • Bundarra 27 Nov 1964 - 26 Nov 1969, and
  • Werris Creek 27 Nov 1964 - 1974, and
  • Tenterfield 1974 - 1981 in the Armidale diocese.

Then Bruce officially retired from the Armidale diocese and moved to Narara in 1981 due to Elaine's poor health, and was granted a licence from the Newcastle dioceses to enable him to continue his ministry on an assistant/volunteer basis.

During this period Bruce was employed by the Meadowbank Tech College for 10 years, teaching Industrial Electronics from 1982 - 1992, having passed the job interview with flying colours. He commuted by train for 10 years, often stand-up room only.

Bruce built things and he touched lives in more ways than most people. His legacy lives on:

  • in his descendants,
  • in the people he baptised,
  • the people he helped,
  • the people he taught,
  • the people he married,
  • the lives he turned around, and
  • the structures and equipment he built.
  • His old raspberry pi piaware aircraft tracker has been relocated (by me) from his house to near Wagga Wagga airport.

Bruce loved the social contact and interaction, and it shows in his eyes.

It takes a special person to personally touch as many lives as he has done.

I hope you enjoy the photos and stories they tell. We hope to add a few more things as time moves on.

photos

Bruce circa 2009
Bruce and Elaine 1955
The wedding of Bruce Holland and Elaine (nee Kitchener/Kitchner)
20 Feb 1954
Bruce Deacon at St Pauls West Tamworth 1956
Steven (grandson), Bruce and Elaine, Fiona (grand-daughter) and Ralph (son) Dec 2009
Bruce, Merle, Elaine and Ron 2009
Bruce, Cliff, Elaine and Margaret 2009
Bruce Holland with Thomas and Fiona
1 Jan 2012 Morrison St Kambah
Russell and Rev Bruce Holland, Holy Family (old rectory/church) 1988
Bruce with Russell at Bruce's 90 yr birthday party 2017
Bruce with Thomas (great-grandson) 2017
The hug from Sharyn
Len Fairfield and Linda Holland in the foreground, Mark Holland on right.
Bruce with grand-daughters: Catherine and Fiona, great-grandchildren: Tom, McKenzie and Annabelle 2017
Bruce with son Mark, grand-daughers Catherine and Fiona, son Ralph, and grandchildren: Tom and McKenzie, and baby Annabelle 2017
Great-grand-daughter McKenzie and Bruce Jan 2019
Steven, Tom, Ralph and Bruce - 4 generations
14 Apr 2012
Breakfast
Narara 2016
Oh Kenz and Tom loved the milkshake machine too
Narara 2016
McKenzie Annabelle and Bruce 2018
McKenzie cuddles with Tom and Bruce
The Hill's Twins - what a handful.
Bruce did this thing; he walked the baptised babies down the isle and introduced them to everyone in the church. These babies looked such a handful, yet they were no burdeon to him
Tom, McKenzie, Annabelle and Bruce 2018

Some extra footage

Bruce (third-from right) as a Curate 1959 St Pauls West Tamworth opening (a snapshot from a DVD video I found in his belongings)
Elaine (on the right) at West Tamworth 1959 - mum sang in the choir (snapshot from the same video)

This is amazing footage because it is in colour, and the sound was recorded for parts of the services. The original footage may have been from a hand-held 8 mm film camera. I do not know how the sound was recorded but it is synced up quite well to the video of the orator segments, the remaining being voice-over and music after the fact. Note that colour TV was not introduced in Australia until 1979 so having coloured film (with some sound) from 1959 is special.

Bruce did the electrical wiring for the church lighting and the tower, and designed and installed the Public Address system while he was a curate there under the guidance of Canon Baker.

I also found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93AZga11tBg which is of poorer quality.

additional photos

from the picture frame in the kitchen (he lived to 93yrs)

memorabilia

Various updates may occur from time to time.

Here is some memorabilia:

funeral details

date: Thursday 11 Feb 2021
time: 1430
location: Holy Family, Anglican Church
4 Ronald Ave, Wyoming, NSW. 2250
http://www.wyominganglican.com.au/
face book
officiating: Rev'd Hilary Wong
0413 334 743
covid-19 restrictions: a mask must be worn
no singing
attendance numbers are limited
contact: Ralph 0417 312869
ralph.holland @ live.com.au
zoom URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85748644228?pwd=Q204TDVNcjBadXJicVEvd3FxbDNQdz09
Note this link will not work on an iPhone
unless the Zoom App is installed,
because Safari does not parse the ? properly.
It will work from chrome and firefox on a real computer.

order of service

Introduction and Opening Prayer

   Loving God, you alone are the source of life.
   May your life-giving spirit flow through us,
   And fill us with compassion, one for another.
   In our sorrow give us the calm of your peace.
   Kindle our hope, and let our grief give way to joy;
   Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: Abide with me

Tribute given by Ralph Holland

video tribute

Hymn: Count Your Blessings - sung by Elaine Holland and Alma Crook

Prayer of thanksgiving.

Bible Reading:  John 3:16-18

   For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 
   that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

   For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
   world, but to save the world through him.

   Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
   not believe stands condemned already, because they have not
   believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 

This is the Gospel of the Lord
Response: Praise to You Lord Jesus

Address.

Prayers including the Lord’s Prayer:

   Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name,
   your kingdom come,
   your will be done,
   on earth as in heaven.
   Give us today our daily bread.
   Forgive us our sins
   as we forgive those who sin against us.
   Save us from the time of trial
   and deliver us from evil.
   For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
   now and for ever. Amen.

Farewell: commendation and committal:

   Holy and loving Father,
   by your mighty power you gave us life,
   and in your love have given us new life in Christ Jesus.
   We entrust Bruce your merciful keeping:
   In the faith of Jesus Christ,
   Who died and rose again to save us,
   And now lives and reigns with you
   and the Holy Spirit
   in glory for ever. Amen

Hymn: Thine be the Glory

   Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
   you have given us a sure and certain hope 
   of the resurrection to eternal life.
   In your keeping are all who have departed in Christ.
   We commit the body of our dear brother Bruce 
   to be cremated
   in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
   who died , and was buried, and rose again for us,
   and who shall change our mortal body 
   that it may be like his glorious body.     

Blessing

QR-code

Well I googled how to make a QR code and it is simple, other people make them for you. e.g. websites https://www.qr-code-generator.com/.

With this image you just activate the camera in your smart phone and scan it, a link will pop up which takes your browser to http://bruce.holland.arising.com.au, which will redirect the browser to this page. (For those people who don't like typing.)

So not only can you scan the covid-19 QR entry codes, you can scan this one as well.

Bruce's own QR-code.

piaware receiver

new home for Bruce's VK2ZAD (silentkey) piaware receiver at the Wagga City Aero Club @ YSWG
Wagga City Aero Club ADS-B piaware receiver coverage @ YSWG

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