Bruce and Margie

The fulltime RVing community lost two of the best among us yesterday. In a senseless and tragic act, our friends Bruce and Margie were killed on their morning walk in one of their favorite places, beautiful Pismo Beach, California.

The news of this unimaginable tragedy was bravely shared by their daughter Stephanie on Bruce and Margie’s blog. Stephanie knew that was the best way to reach many of her parents’ friends. In between the lines that were so shocking and painful to read, I could see Margie’s foresight. She had seen to it that if anything had happened to them, her family would know how to notify their friends.

Bruce and Margie were blessed with many friends. With their kind hearts and energetic spirits, you just couldn’t help but like them. They shared their travels and commitment to healthy eating with the world through two blogs, which had many regular readers and followers. Margie’s comments on her friends’ blogs, including ours, were ever-present. She always knew exactly the right thing to say.

Bruce and Margie started their fulltiming journey in 2008, shortly after we hatched the idea for our own. At a time when we were soaking up all the information we could about this intriguing lifestyle, we enjoyed reading about Bruce and Margie, experienced RVers and former Californians, who were just starting their life on the road. While we were still working away, we lived vicariously through their posts.

As we got to know this lovely couple through their words and pictures, we saw in them many traits we wanted to foster in our own fulltiming journey. They shared a deep commitment to their family. No matter where they were traveling, family came first. Always. We were inspired by their obvious commitment to maintaining their health and fitness in what can easily become a sedentary, pound-producing lifestyle. Bruce and Margie also displayed a rather unique combination of talents that served them so well in their life and this lifestyle: organization and adaptability. It’s not often that those that are so well organized can roll so easily with the punches. We so wanted to be like them!

In April 2009, we needed a place to escape to while the interior of house was being painted in preparation for our house sale. After reading Bruce and Margie’s accounts of Pismo Coast Village, we knew where we were going. We missed meeting our friends there by a few weeks. But, after spending a lazy five nights in their lovely park in that beautiful town on the central coast, we understood why Bruce and Margie loved it so.

Late last Summer, when we started shopping for our new moose, we reached out to Bruce and Margie for advice. Their rolling home was the same make and model of the one we were considering. We were grateful beneficiaries of their generous spirit. They selflessly shared their insights and tips. They answered tons of questions. Thanks to them, we made an informed decision and approached this mega purchase with confidence.

Sharing similar motorhomes provided a bond for our friendship to grow. We regularly exchanged stories of Winnie life. While we subjected our Tours to sub-freezing temps last December, we kept in near constant contact helping each other keep our motorhomes, pets and selves from freezing. In moments when we were reaching the end of our rope, Bruce and Margie would offer wise perspective, practical advice and welcome good humor.

“As Bruce always says,” Margie wrote on more than one occasion, “everything can be fixed.”

After we’d all headed south to thaw, we compared travel itineraries in search of a place to meet in person. Johnson City, in Texas hill country, would be the place. Bruce and Margie were overnighting there in April on their trip east on US 50 toward a family vacation at Walt Disney World. We were on our way from Kerrville to Austin and scheduled a lunch stop in Johnson City along the way.

As happens when fulltimers meet, with our first hugs we felt like we were meeting long lost friends for the first time. We will always remember the youthful spring in their steps, their joyful smiles and the sparkle in their eyes. We admired each other’s homes and doted on each other’s spoiled pets. As we caught up over our long lunch, we shared lots of laughter. At one point Bruce told our helpful server, “Can you believe we just met?” She shook her head in disbelief.

Time passed much too quickly, of course, and it was time for us to leave our friends. With warm hugs we vowed to see each other down the road soon. As we’ve sketched out travel plans for next year we’ve looked for possibilities to meet up with these special friends again.

We are so deeply saddened that reunion is not to be.

Today our thoughts and prayers are with Bruce and Margie’s family. We join fellow fulltimers and bloggers across the country in embracing them in a virtual hug. We pray that they will find comfort in the words of Bruce and Margie’s many traveling friends as they face these most difficult of days.

Last night as I prepared to saute some veggies for dinner, I stepped through the now automatic process of placing a shower cap over our super-sensitive smoke detector just above our stove.

“Margie gave us that tip,” I muttered.

Through tears we have spent the last day reflecting on our brief friendship with these two special people who shared so much. We are so very glad we had the great pleasure to meet them. They will be missed.

We join our wonderful RVing community in celebrating two lives well-lived. Bruce and Margie spent their last years doing exactly what they wanted to do, the way they wanted to. We thank them for their selfless contributions to our community. As we continue our travels in our trusty Tour we will honor their memory by embracing their joie de vivre and living the words that Margie so frequently used to close a message or comment. In fact, she used them to close her last blog post.

“Travel safe and enjoy the view.”

We will, dear friends. And, we wish the very same for you.