Bruce Willis Eggler

Bruce W. Eggler, 76, passed away at his home in New Orleans. Born in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, he came to New Orleans at age 3 with his family when his father continued a teaching career at Tulane University. At ages 8 and 9 he spent entire summers in Yellowstone National Park, where his father was a park ranger based at Norris Geyser Basin. Bruce was educated at The Newman School and Tulane University. At Tulane he was a reporter and editor of The Hullabaloo, the campus newspaper. After graduation, he worked at the Vieux Carré Courier and Figaro, weekly papers, before moving to The States-Item. There he was a reporter, assistant city editor, and entertainment editor. The latter assignment took him to venues in New Orleans and around the country. His favorite coverages were of grand opera, a lifelong passion. He continued reporting and editing when The States-Item merged with the Times Picayune in 1980 and when, in 2013, he joined The New Orleans Advocate. Although he covered a variety of beats as a reporter, he was most known for his years covering New Orleans City Hall, including Historic District Landmark Commission meetings and City Planning Commission meetings, where his encyclopedic knowledge of New Orleans history and workings came to the fore.

Bruce leaves a brother, David (Betsey) and a niece and a nephew in Pennsylvania. He rarely left New Orleans for longer trips in later years but made an exception for his niece’s wedding in 2008. He shared a taste of New Orleans to his Pennsylvania relatives with yearly King Cakes. He enjoyed sharing memories of “Jackie,” one of his favorite opera stars, with his family especially after they reported visiting the Marilyn Horne museum in her hometown of Bradford Pa.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made for the Frank Donze Memorial Fund, which will help future journalists explore their passion. Bruce and Frank worked together in covering politics for years. Checks to The LSU Foundation, notation line Frank Donze Memorial Fund; mail to LSU Foundation, 3796 Nicholson Drive, Baton Rouge LA 70802.

A memorial is planned for a date to be announced.