Bruce Reynard Poinsette

Bruce Reynard Poinsette, age 77, of Lake Oswego, Oregon died May 8, 2024 at Legacy Emanuel Hospital following an extended battle with heart disease. On October 12, 1946, he was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the son of the late Samuel Johnson Poinsette and Margaret Lucille Rutland. On July 26, 1986, he married Willie B. Davis at the First Baptist Church in Englewood, New Jersey. Together they shared 37 years of marriage.

Survivors include his wife Willie Poinsette and son Bruce Aubrey Davis Poinsette. He was preceded in death by his older brother Sam Poinsette and parents Samuel and Margaret Poinsette.

Bruce worked as a safety and loss control consultant and educator. He was most recently a partner with GEW and teacher at Portland Community College. He spent most of his career working for Associated General Contractors and also spent time at Liberty Northwest as a compliance officer.

Bruce was a proud member of the Southwest Portland Rotary Club, serving multiple terms as President of the chapter. He was also an active member of Ainsworth United Church of Christ, including serving as Moderator for the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ. In addition to these leadership roles, Bruce also served as Chapter President of the Columbia-Willamette Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers and as a Clackamas County Precinct Committee Person.

Bruce has lived in a few places, including Charleston, South Carolina and Eugene and Portland, before settling with Willie in Lake Oswego. His hobbies included cars, home repairs and maintenance, city planning and politics.

He loved to tell stories and would chat with anyone in hopes to educate them, be it about city planning, auto and home fixes, politics, and history with an emphasis on how schools do a poor job of teaching it. He also lived a life of service and was always willing to lend a hand.

Bruce will be missed by many and never forgotten.