Fresno State Athletics
Remembering Fresno Bee Sportswriter Bruce Farris
5/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
Hall of Fame Fresno Bee Sportswriter Bruce Farris dies at 88- ByAndyBoogaard, Fresno Bee
May 8, 2015
By Paul Loeffler,ESPN 940
Voice of Fresno State football, baseball, men's basketball
FRENSO, Calif. - Faith. Family. Fresno State sports. Almost every conversation I ever had with Bruce Farris centered around one of those topics. He was passionate about all three, and his enthusiasm was both palpable and contagious. I had great respect for Bruce as a writer before I ever knew him as a man. The privilege of spending sporadic time with him over the last 15 years caused that professional respect to blossom into a special friendship with a humble, yet inimitable son of the Valley.
Every interaction involved his smile, his wide eyes, and the escalating treble of his familiarly energetic voice. I'd ask him how fast Fibber Hirayama was and he'd launch into a story about the baseball and football games he covered in the early 1950s. Before I could ask a follow up question, he'd want to know if a young quarterback named Derek Carr was going to be as good as his big brother. Bruce's encyclopedic knowledge of Fresno State athletics stretched back more than 70 years, but he was always more eager to see what the next chapter would hold than to wax poetic about the past. Even a cursory connection with Bruce was enough to convey his spirit and character, but three lengthier experiences with him come to mind as I reflect on the passing of a special man.
When Bruce retired from the Fresno Bee, then Sports Information Director Steve Weakland made sure he would have a lifetime pass to all Bulldog events. That meant the world to Bruce, and when the Fresno State baseball team advanced to the Super Regionals in 2008, Steve arranged for Bruce to be credentialed at Arizona State. Ray O'Canto and I drew the privilege of serving as his bodyguards in the overcrowded Packard Stadium, where our broadcast crew was relegated to the roof of the press box. That meant climbing stairs, and a thin metal ladder, but there was 81-year-old Bruce, clambering up with a spring in his step, ready to brave triple-digit sunshine and any other potential hazard to watch the team he had followed since 1940. When the Bulldogs upset the Sun Devils to reach Omaha, Bruce was shaking his head, grinning ear-to-ear, and exclaimed, "That was just the guttiest team I've ever seen!"
There was a bouncing dog pile on the field, but I know nobody wearing a uniform was experiencing any more genuine satisfaction than our friend Bruce.
The next year, the Bulldog football team was going to Cincinnati, where Bruce had relatives, and Jordan Christensen and I got to be his travel partners this time. It couldn't have been the Fresno State shirt that aroused suspicion, but for some reason Bruce warranted extra attention from TSA agents at the airport. As they moved the magnetic wand up and down, you couldn't help but notice he was sporting bright red Bulldog socks as well. He was a Bulldog, from head to toe, and he also had a great sense of humor. While some octogenarians might take offense at the hassle of the extra inspection, Bruce was chuckling about it in incredulous wonder the rest of the trip.
The adventure in which I learned the most about Bruce came when he rode with me to an afternoon basketball game in Santa Clara and back. I'd always appreciated his ability to tell a compelling story in print, and his joie de vive was unmistakable, but sharing that ride helped me understand where all that positive energy originated. He spoke glowingly about each one of his children and grandchildren, and related the story of how he met his late wife, Barbara. A synopsis of his journalistic career took a delightful detour as he relived the glory years of covering the old "Crosby Clambake" at Pebble Beach. But that ever-present sparkle in his eye took on an extra gleam when he explained the way in which he had become a Christian, and what a life-changing event that proved to be.
He was a man whose passion touched countless lives, and whose legacy will never disappear. Some may reflect on his skill in crafting the written word. Others may trumpet his deserved inclusion in the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame and the Fresno State Baseball Hall of Fame. When I think of our friend Bruce, I'll remember his simple heart, uncluttered by pride and ambition, sincerely focused on serving and celebrating others, and reminding us all how thankful we should be to call the Valley home.
