Bruce T. Amsbary

With deep sorrow, family and friends say goodbye to Bruce T. Amsbary, who lost his long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer on Thursday, November 14, 2019. He was 68 years old. Bruce grew up in Belmont, MA and lived in Needham, MA for 39 years.  A proud alumnus of Belmont Hill School and Hobart College, he received his MBA from Babson College.  Bruce served as CFO at The Rivers School for 28 years.  Beloved husband for 43 years of Elizabeth (Betsy) Gibney Amsbary, and proud father of Robert S. Amsbary and partner Katharine Kaspar of NYC, Sarah B. Eytinge and husband Bret J. Eytinge of Seattle, WA, and Dana T. Amsbary of Watertown, MA.  Loving brother of Douglas G. Amsbary and wife Irene S. Amsbary of Sugar Hill, NH. Cherished “Papa” of granddaughter Grace E. Eytinge. 

Before joining the administration at The Rivers School, Bruce served as Assistant to the Treasurer at The Harvard Club of Boston and Assistant Business Manager at The Dana Hall School.  Bruce was tireless in his desire to support others’ success and was an important player in regional and national associations, serving as vice-president and audit committee chair for The Independent School Compensation Corporation, president of the Massachusetts Association of Non-Profit Schools and Colleges, and audit committee member at Belmont Hill.  Bruce served as focus group member, committee member and consultant to a variety of organizations ranging from NAIS to AISNE, and to a range of schools nationally.  Bruce’s professionalism and exemplary work ethic were honored in 2003 when he was recognized by The Rivers School community with the Bergen-Decker Award and again in 2019 with the dedication of the Amsbary Conference Room to honor his leadership and extraordinary contribution to the school.  In 2012, he received the Will J. Hancock Unsung Hero Award from the National Business Officers Association.  

Bruce will long be remembered for his caring and generous kindness.  He filled his rich life not only with his love of Belmont Hill, The Rivers School, summers at Basin Harbor, VT and winters in Long Boat Key, FL, but with family, humor, wisdom, travel and long-standing friendships with fellow business managers, the Gourmet Group and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity brothers. 

Memorial service to be held at Christ Episcopal Church, 1132 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.  A celebration of life reception immediately following at The Rivers School, 333 Winter St., Weston, MA.  All are invited.  Expressions of sympathy in Bruce’s name may be made to Belmont Hill School, The Tom and Rogers Olverson Financial Aid Fund at The Rivers School, and Christ Episcopal Church, Needham, MA. 

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