Syd “Bruce” Marsden

We share the news that Syd (Bruce) Marsden passed away on January 31.  Syd had suffered a serious heart attack a few days earlier and was being treated at a New York City hospital.  His family was with him.

Syd was the son of Syd and Shirley Marsden of Auburn, one of five children.  Syd and Shirley were founding members of the Finger Lakes Chapter and Syd (Bruce) was just as active a member.  With more than 33  boats listed in the ACBS directory under his listing, he has also been an avid collector!

His energy, dedication to the club and to ACBS as a whole will be deeply missed.  

Syd grew up in Auburn and was just as active in the community while growing up.  It seems that everything he has done was with a passion and definitely a smile and a laugh that we will all remember.  At the FLC show, he was usually seen helping on the dock throughout the weekend, participating with one (or several) boats.  In the winter he taught boating safety classes and provided considerable assistance with the chapter's presence at the CNY Boat Show in Syracuse (one of those glossy fiberglass shows where he always got a charge in showing a varnished "woody.").   

Syd also often shared those collections he would come across.   Woody Boater had an occasional column entitled "From Syd's Attic."  There were pictures of boats on Owasco Lake, older photos from the FLC shows and others, all kinds of nautical items and he just kept turning out more, the deeper he dug into those boxes, photo albums and books.   He just as often shared items with Brightwork, and the newsletter tried to share as much as possible.

Syd's energy and enthusiasm for Antique and Classic Boating was contagious and we'll treasure his memory