I just have to tell you about Bruce and our greatest adventure. Amazingly, back in the fall of 1962, we both somehow had been admitted at ECC (now ECU). We ended up on the same floor of Jones Hall. My roomate was actually a guy crazier than me, if that is possible - Buck Garrett, a great guy from Roxboro who is now deceased, but his reputation for being a wild guy precedes him. His cousin, Woody Garrett from Roxboro was also quite a character and also a great guy. He lived down the hall and Bruce - who I just barely knew - was also down the hall. None of us were very academic (which is an understatement) and we all seemed to be taking up from where we left off in high school - goofing off.
I had my 58 Chevy convertible at ECC, which was against the rules, but nevertheless, I had it, which made me really, really popular since havnig an automobile was prohibited for freshmen. One night Bruce, Buck, Woody, and I, along with a guy on our hall named Mark Meltzer, a great Jewish guy whose family lived in New York, were out on the town at a drive in on the bypass. It was Ms. Dora's Patio, which was a little concrete block building in the middle of a muddy parking lot. They sold beer and hamburgers. It was a Thursday night and we had been there for a number of hours. There is no telling how many beers we had drank. Somehow, for some reason, someone said,"Let's go to New York and get a hotdog." Amazingly stupid, but nevertheless that seemed like a great idea to all of us. We went back to the dorm, packed our bags, and returned to the Chevy. The next thing we knew, late on a Thursday night we were headed north with a heck with Friday classes attitude.
I dont recall too much about the trip except being near the University of Maryand - in College Park - when one of us - whoever was driving and I think it was Bruce - tried to make a left turn at a stoplight from the far right lane of a 6 or 8 lane highway, turning into the Univ. of Maryland. Somehow, we survived. The next thing I recall, we were in Manhatten, parked out in front of a bar. Fortunately, it was Mark Meltzer's daddy's bar. That night, Mr.Melzer came out and with us all passed out in the car, he drove us to his home - maybe in Queens. We stayed there for a day or so and drove back to Greenville. They say God takes care of drunks and fools - and we qualified in both ways.
There are other things we did - none of which were terrible - but I would not want to put them in print until I am certain the statute of limitaions had passed. At any rate, we all survived and had this great story to tell. Bruce Whicker was a fun loving guy, quite a character and a great guy. Even at his funeral, I was talking with his stepson and told him about the infamous New York trip. He knew exactly what I was talking about and remarked -'Oh you are one of the guys that went to New York!' It was an adventure we would all talk about our entire lives. Bruce knew how to have good time and he cared about his fellow men. I am glad I knew him and I hope he rests in peace.
Our classmate, Edmund Bruce Whicker,age 74, passed away April 14, 2017. Bruce was born on April 7th, 1943 in Winston Salem, a son of the late Ernest Bruce Whicker and Ethel Woodward Whicker. Bruce was a graduate of R.J.Reynolds High School and attended East Carolina University and High Point University.
During his working career, Bruce was employed by Johnson and Johnson Co. as a regional sales trainer and a district manager. He was also employed by Revion Inc. as district manager. Bruce retired from Jockey International in 2002 after 19 years of service as a territorial sales manager.
Bruce enjoyed golf, riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, cooking, and entertaining his friends and family. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Nancy Powell Whicker; children Leigh Woodward Whicker, Kelli Whicker (Michael) Boxberger; Bobby Ray Carswell, and Susan Renee (Mitch) Brown; grandchildren, Megan Hodge, Brandon Boxberger, Bryce Boxberger, and Rebekah Anderson; great grandson Braden Boxberger, and many other loved ones and friends.
The visitation was held at Vogler and Sons Funeral Home at 2951 Reynolda Road, Winston Salem on Friday April 21, 2017 from 1 pm to 2 pm. followed by a funeral service at Forsyth Memorial Park in the mausoleum at 2:30 pm.
Memorial contributions can either be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 200 E. Joppa Road, Suite 300, Townson,MD. 21286 or the Kitty Nursery at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control Shelter - contact Trisha Lopez.
Danny T. Ferguson
I just have to tell you about Bruce and our greatest adventure. Amazingly, back in the fall of 1962, we both somehow had been admitted at ECC (now ECU). We ended up on the same floor of Jones Hall. My roomate was actually a guy crazier than me, if that is possible - Buck Garrett, a great guy from Roxboro who is now deceased, but his reputation for being a wild guy precedes him. His cousin, Woody Garrett from Roxboro was also quite a character and also a great guy. He lived down the hall and Bruce - who I just barely knew - was also down the hall. None of us were very academic (which is an understatement) and we all seemed to be taking up from where we left off in high school - goofing off.
I had my 58 Chevy convertible at ECC, which was against the rules, but nevertheless, I had it, which made me really, really popular since havnig an automobile was prohibited for freshmen. One night Bruce, Buck, Woody, and I, along with a guy on our hall named Mark Meltzer, a great Jewish guy whose family lived in New York, were out on the town at a drive in on the bypass. It was Ms. Dora's Patio, which was a little concrete block building in the middle of a muddy parking lot. They sold beer and hamburgers. It was a Thursday night and we had been there for a number of hours. There is no telling how many beers we had drank. Somehow, for some reason, someone said,"Let's go to New York and get a hotdog." Amazingly stupid, but nevertheless that seemed like a great idea to all of us. We went back to the dorm, packed our bags, and returned to the Chevy. The next thing we knew, late on a Thursday night we were headed north with a heck with Friday classes attitude.
I dont recall too much about the trip except being near the University of Maryand - in College Park - when one of us - whoever was driving and I think it was Bruce - tried to make a left turn at a stoplight from the far right lane of a 6 or 8 lane highway, turning into the Univ. of Maryland. Somehow, we survived. The next thing I recall, we were in Manhatten, parked out in front of a bar. Fortunately, it was Mark Meltzer's daddy's bar. That night, Mr.Melzer came out and with us all passed out in the car, he drove us to his home - maybe in Queens. We stayed there for a day or so and drove back to Greenville. They say God takes care of drunks and fools - and we qualified in both ways.
There are other things we did - none of which were terrible - but I would not want to put them in print until I am certain the statute of limitaions had passed. At any rate, we all survived and had this great story to tell. Bruce Whicker was a fun loving guy, quite a character and a great guy. Even at his funeral, I was talking with his stepson and told him about the infamous New York trip. He knew exactly what I was talking about and remarked -'Oh you are one of the guys that went to New York!' It was an adventure we would all talk about our entire lives. Bruce knew how to have good time and he cared about his fellow men. I am glad I knew him and I hope he rests in peace.
Danny T. Ferguson
Our classmate, Edmund Bruce Whicker,age 74, passed away April 14, 2017. Bruce was born on April 7th, 1943 in Winston Salem, a son of the late Ernest Bruce Whicker and Ethel Woodward Whicker. Bruce was a graduate of R.J.Reynolds High School and attended East Carolina University and High Point University.
During his working career, Bruce was employed by Johnson and Johnson Co. as a regional sales trainer and a district manager. He was also employed by Revion Inc. as district manager. Bruce retired from Jockey International in 2002 after 19 years of service as a territorial sales manager.
Bruce enjoyed golf, riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, cooking, and entertaining his friends and family. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Nancy Powell Whicker; children Leigh Woodward Whicker, Kelli Whicker (Michael) Boxberger; Bobby Ray Carswell, and Susan Renee (Mitch) Brown; grandchildren, Megan Hodge, Brandon Boxberger, Bryce Boxberger, and Rebekah Anderson; great grandson Braden Boxberger, and many other loved ones and friends.
The visitation was held at Vogler and Sons Funeral Home at 2951 Reynolda Road, Winston Salem on Friday April 21, 2017 from 1 pm to 2 pm. followed by a funeral service at Forsyth Memorial Park in the mausoleum at 2:30 pm.
Memorial contributions can either be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 200 E. Joppa Road, Suite 300, Townson,MD. 21286 or the Kitty Nursery at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control Shelter - contact Trisha Lopez.