From Central Tools:

It is with a heavy heart that Central Tools Inc announces the passing of our president, Bruce Dawson. Since the Dawson family purchase of Central Tools in 1992, Bruce has been a fixture at industry and customer events. In fact, setup day was not complete without a walk around the show floor saying hello and conversing with virtually every other vendor present. These conversations usually revolved not only around industry news and happenings but also included deep discussions on wine, food, beer, golf and of course watches.

Since the passing of Alec Dawson in 2012, Bruce has been the guiding hand that has led the company to its current state of stability and strong position in our category. Central Tools has never been stronger and all our employees and customers will continue to benefit from Bruce’s influence. Central continues to innovate and broaden capabilities; all possible because of Bruce.

Outside of work, Bruce was extremely dedicated to the love of his life and wife Rose. He enjoyed all the pursuits that generated the show floor discussions but was also supporter of the arts; primarily through his long involvement with the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts where he served on the board of directors for 10 years. He also frequently supported local causes in his home community of Westport, MA. Bruce was also active in business organizations around Central Tools such as SBANE (Smaller Business Organization of New England) and NTMA (National Tooling and Machining Association).  He leaves not only his wife Rose but also his sister Anne Marshall and her husband Bernie, brother David and his wife Julie and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his mother Nancy. He will, of course, also be deeply missed by all the employees of Central Tools.

In lieu of flowers, donation can be made to the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts at https://www.watershedceramics.org/.