Bruce R. Mollar, 53
Dateline: Mansfield, MA
Bruce R. Mollar, age 53 of Mansfield, formerly Braintree, passed away peacefully at home on May 19, 2024, surrounded by family and friends after a courageous battle with cancer. He was a beloved husband, son, son-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and dear friend.
Born in New Bedford, MA on January 19, 1971, Bruce was the son of Rev. Marjorie (Whitehead) Mollar and Rev. Robert Mollar. He loved his family and cherished his relationship with his brother Mark and sister Daniella.
Bruce was a proud graduate of Braintree High School in 1989 and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1993. Although academics were important to him, it was the lifelong friendships he made in high school and college that he valued most.
As Associate Director of Compliance, Bruce was a respected employee at Delaware Life Insurance for the past 27 years. In a statement from his employer, "Bruce made a lasting impression on countless colleagues. He was always approachable, friendly, bright, jovial, professional, reliable, and dedicated. Few others I have worked with over so many years have been so relentlessly positive.”
He was a true gentleman. But those closest to him agree that Bruce's best qualities were his enormous heart, eternal optimism, genuine kindness, quiet strength and most of all, his sense of humor and ability to find the ridiculous in any situation, narrating it to be sure everyone else laughed along with him. Reading this, many of you are probably smiling to yourselves, thinking of the witty and original Bruce-isms he shared. His fierce and unwavering loyalty to his friends could only be outmatched by his ability to make fun of them in a lighthearted way that actually made them look forward to his commentary, and enthusiastically join him in the laughter and insults. And, Bruce was always the first to point out his own quirks, like the fact that he was "directionally challenged" (he could get lost going somewhere he had already been a dozen times, while using GPS) but this made for epic road trips and jokes at his own expense over the years. Classic Bruce.
He had many passions and interests, most notably his love of music. Some of his favorite bands were AC/DC, Pearl Jam and Led Zeppelin. He was a talented drummer, and Bruce and his own band enjoyed regular jam sessions, playing covers of his favorite artists at many local bars and taverns over the years.
Bruce had a soft spot in his heart for every dog. There was never a dog who met him that did not love him wholeheartedly (especially the emotionally unstable, rescue dogs adopted by his friends) which is why he was always chosen as babysitter and dog godfather. A testament to Bruce’s amazing spirit. Over the years, his own dogs, Celtic, Colby and Murray simultaneously tormented him, and brought him joy every day, and he regularly shared their escapades to the delight of his friends and family.
He loved all Boston Sports, especially baseball, and had an incredible ability to remember even the most obscure sports statistics and trivia. Bruce’s friends would often have to hijack the tv remote so they could switch the channel from baseball to football at the end of the summer season. In 2004, when the Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino, he insisted on calling out of work the next day, as he considered it his own holiday.
He also loved traveling with his wife, family and friends. His most recent vacations included trips to London, Miami, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in New York.
Bruce was happiest during the warm weather months, golfing, going to concerts or spending a day at the beach with Heidi or his friends. He always found joy in every-day, simple routines such as going to the gym and walking his beloved golden retriever, Murray. He truly enjoyed his father-in-law's homemade Italian food and his mother's decadent baked goods. He is the only person we know who still had the Boston Globe and Herald delivered to his door every morning, and he took great pride in keeping the most impeccable lawn in his neighborhood.
He is survived by the love of his life and his wife of 25 years, Heidi (Cornaglia) Mollar, his mother Rev. Marjorie (Whitehead) Mollar, his brother Mark Mollar, and his wife Cindy (O'Halloran) Mollar, his sister Daniella (Mollar) Dalessio, and her husband Jason Dalessio, his father-in-law Frederic Cornaglia and mother-in-law Anne Marie Cornaglia, and sister-in-law Lisa Cornaglia, and brother-in-law Brain Cornaglia. He also leaves behind nephews, Jeremey and Dillion Dalessio, and nieces, Madisen and Taylor Hill, Gianna Mollar, and Emma Dalessio and lifelong friends too numerous to list. He is predeceased by his father, Rev. Robert Mollar and his brother-in-law, Jason Cornaglia.
Bruce would have most appreciated you celebrating him in your own way, raising a glass of whiskey, listening to AC/DC while playing air-drums, taking in a Red Sox game at Fenway, naming your next dog Angus or Juiceman, doing your best Goat Boy impression, shooting a round of golf on a sunny afternoon (but definitely not before 1pm) or simply making fun of Bruce in classic Bruce fashion.
We are the lucky ones, to have known him. We treasure the unforgettable memories he made with us, the laughter and love we shared with him. Bruce will live on forever in our hearts...until we meet again.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 4-8pm on Thursday, July 11th at Granite Links under the Pavilion Tent, 100 Quarry Hills Drive, Quincy, MA. Please RSVP by June 28th to: [email protected]
In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Bruce by making a donation to the Gastric Cancer Foundation using this link:
https://secure.frontstream.com/gastriccancer/participant/BruceMollar1
To send his family a message of condolence, please visit www.shermanjackson.com