Obituary: Bruce Logan Hewitt, 1938-2026

The light of our party has moved on to his next life.

Bruce Logan Hewitt, 87, of Burlington died peacefully at Respite House at sunrise — his favorite time of day — on May 29 from complications of multiple cancers he had survived through the years.

Born June 9, 1938 (Montclair, N.J.), to George F. and Nadine (“Happy”) Easter Hewitt, he was the middle child of three musical mischief makers. His brothers, Kent and Geof, were always his closest friends and coconspirators. He was known by his family as Guppy, Dad, PopPop and Babe.

He graduated from Choate, then Cornell. During college summers he flew as a steward on Pan Am. But his great love was his men’s a cappella triple quartet, the Sherwoods of Cornell. That group became lifelong friends and have gotten together for 40 years, not only to sing at Cornell reunions but also during the year with spouses for a week of fun (and singing). He was actually planning to join them this week at the Cornell reunion.

He met his first wife, Mary Van Vleck, at Cornell, and they moved to Puerto Rico, where he ran the Dorado Beach Hotel. Their son, Peter, was born there. Then he got a master’s at Columbia and in 1967 moved to Burlington, where he was dean of men at the University of Vermont and their daughter, Heather, was born.

After major back surgery he left UVM to teach geography at Frederick Tuttle Middle School. His love of geography led to his buying a Winnebago, strapping a motorcycle on the back and a kayak on top, grabbing the kids and taking the family on a 35,000-mile, yearlong journey circumnavigating the U.S. and Central America. Once home, he returned to UVM as development director.

He started in real estate in 1979 at Smith Bell, eventually becoming an owner. He loved selling houses, sharing his affection for the area and finding “home” for clients. He occasionally escorted them in his beloved 1958 Mercedes convertible, “Turtle.” After selling Smith Bell, he worked at Lang until retirement in 2011.

The true love of his life was Carol Hughes, whom he married in 1982. They shared a passion for music and travel. They loved many places, but mostly the Cotswolds, where, after their first visit in 1982, they returned many times. In 2005 they began 10 years of journeys around the globe, visiting 65 countries as Carol taught piano classes on Crystal Cruises. They loved Vermont, but not in February, and for many years went to the Abacos and later to Rome.

Bruce loved sailing, and he loved Lake Champlain. He knew the lake like the back of his hand. He and Carol, family, and friends spent many lazy days and nights on his trawler, Kestral.

He loved to sing and dance. He could play spoons and hambone with the best of them. A supporter of the arts, he attended countless shows, plays, concerts and museums wherever they went.

His spiritual life deepened after his first cancer (1999). He was an active member of First Congregational, where he sang in the choir and served on numerous committees. He gave back to others by volunteering in the UVM Medical Center chemo infusion center, delivering Meals on Wheels and being a hospice volunteer.

He leaves his wife, Carol; son, Peter Hewitt; daughter, Heather Main (David); stepson, Brett Hughes; stepdaughter, Lisa Hughes (Tod Gross); and five grandchildren: Hank Hughes, Jack and Parker Main, and Lindsey and Ben Hewitt; as well as brothers Kent (Myra) and Geof (Janet) and many nieces and nephews.

This world will be a bit less bright without him lighting the way, but he’s left us his contagious joie de vivre and his love.

We all have huge gratitude for all of his medical caregivers over these years.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 20, 2026, 2 p.m., at First Congregational Church Burlington. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lake Champlain Committee or Craftsbury Chamber Players.

This article appears in Animal Issue • 2026.