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AVERY, Bruce Floyd (10468)

Birth

  • Born on February 20, 1936 in Woodstock, Grafton Co., NH

Death

  • Died on July 31, 2021 in New London, Merrimack Co., NH
  • Buried in New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, Merrimack Co., NH

Marriages

Notes

  • Occupation: US Navy Commander/ Founder The Stratos Group Inc.
  • Obituary: Bruce received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Babson College in 1957 and a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University in 1969. He served as President of the Harvard Business School Club of Washington, DC from 1998 to 2000 and as Chairman of the Board from 2000 to 2002. He served as Executive Director of the Harvard Business School 2006 Global Leadership Forum. He also served as the President of the Babson College Alumni Club of Washington, DC in 2002. Before retiring in 1979 at the rank of Commander, he served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years in a wide variety of assignments. From 1972 until 1979, he served as the Deputy Program Manager for Business Administration for the Navy's Tomahawk Cruise Missile Project (PMA-263) and as the Director for Acquisition for the Joint Cruse Missile Project Office (JPM-3). During these assignments Bruce gained national recognition for his innovative competitive acquisition and cost management strategies. In recognition of his service Bruce was awarded the U.S. Defense Superior Service Medal and the U.S. Navy Meritorious Service Medal. Prior to 1972, Bruce's military assignments included tours as Executive Assistant and Senior Aide to the Vice Chief of the Naval Material Command, Officer-in-Charge of the Charleston Naval Supply Center's Supply Operations Assistance Team, and as Director of Military and Civilian Personnel, Naval Supply Center, Charleston, SC. Upon retirement from the Navy, Bruce joined the Boston-based consulting firm of Putnam, Hayes and Bartlett, establishing their Washington office and defense analysis group. In 1981, he founded the defense consulting firm Merrimack Associates, Inc. with his wife. In 1983 he founded The Stratos Group Inc. (TSG) which provided counsel to the defense community in the areas of precision strike weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles. He formally retired as Chairman of the Board of TSG in 1999. Bruce was a specialist in the weapons systems acquisition process with particular emphasis on precision strike weapons and unmanned systems. He provided management and economic counsel to both the government and the defense industry on a wide variety of programs including Department of Defense project management and strategies on weapons systems acquisition and cost management. His program experiences include: Abrams M-1 Main Battle Tank; Tomahawk Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM); Bradley m-2/3 Fighting Vehicles; Comanche Helicopter; Endurance UAVs; Tomahawk Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM); Hanaford TWRS Privatization; Harpoon Missile; Hellfire Missile; Hornet Aircraft (WA-18); Hunter UAV; J-STARS; MLRS; Osprey Aircraft (V-22); Outrider IJAV; Phalanx (CIWS); Shadow UAV; SINCGARS; SLAM; Tomahawk Sea Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM); Tactical UAV; VTOL UAV and the T800 Jet Engine. Bruce was also a recognized expert in the implementation of weapon system cost control. He developed the comprehensive cost/design management philosophy on the Tomahawk Cruise Missile in the 1970's that evolved into the Cost As An Independent Variable (CAIV) approach. He served as a consultant to the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA) for several years. Through CNA, he provided the Navy Secretariat with analyses on the effectiveness of various competitive acquisition strategies on a wide range of programs. For the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC), he was the principle developer of DSMC's Production Competition Course. Bruce served as a consultant to the Department of Energy and the Battle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory advising on competition issues relating to the Department's privatization efforts. Bruce was one of the founders of the Cruise Missiles Association, now known as the Precision Strike Association. He served as the Association's Executive Director from May 1993 through November 2000. He also served tours as the Association's Vice President for Membership as well as President. After years of owning a second property in New London, Bruce and his wife Shirley made the permanent move from the DC area to their home on Pleasant Lake in 2006. Bruce's parents had long owned a Pleasant Lake home and Bruce and Shirley had the good fortune to have be able to buy the property next to them in the 1980's. Once settled in the community, Bruce served as President of the Friends of the Tracy Library from 2007 to 2014. He and Shirley were members of the Pleasant Lake Protective Association (PLPA) and ran the PLPA store for several years. Bruce also served as the President of the NH chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) from 2012 to 2014. In 2011 he created the Granite State Warriors Award to annually recognize the superb contributions of a NH based organization and/or a NH resident that have enhanced the war fighting capabilities of US military forces through weapon systems that have strengthened our national security or improved the health, morale, welfare or recognition of US military personnel and their families. Bruce has been very active with the Episcopal Church of St. Andrew in New London, serving on the Vestry and as Warden in 2019 and 2020. As busy as Bruce was, he always found time in his day to read a good book, or design a new carved wooden sign and always had time to chat with friends and neighbors. Summer days were spent sitting on his deck, looking out over his beloved Pleasant Lake, enjoying the wonderful sights and sounds. Over the years, many family lobster dinners and cocktail hours were whiled away on the deck. As the days grew shorter, he increased his reading time and throughly enjoyed watching all things football and hockey, particularly the Pats and Bruins. Bruce was a true patriot. He loved his God, family and country dearly. He is survived by his wife of nearly 65 years, Shirley Sanderson Avery; a daughter and a son; grandchildren; two sisters. Manchester Union Leader Manchester,NH August 10,2021
  • Military Service: Vietnam US Navy

Sources

  • Newspaper Obituary: Manchester Union Leader Manchester,NH August 10,2021

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