07/02/2026
Windham lost a hero.
UPDATE:
Bruce Edward John
January 13, 1951 - June 29, 2026
Bruce Edward John, aged 75, died on the evening of Monday June 26, 2026. At his request, he was at home, surrounded by loved ones.
Bruce was born at Windham Hospital on January 13, 1951 to Alfred and Lucille John. He grew up in Mansfield, graduating from E.O. Smith High School in 1969 before briefly attending Eastern Connecticut State University.
In October of 1971 Bruce and David “Lefty” Foster opened the Shaboo Inn along with their siblings and business partners, Kerry and Gary John, and Mark Foster. While his most famous business venture was undoubtedly the Shaboo, Bruce worked in a number of fields over his life. He grew up working at Lou’s, his father’s restaurant in Eagleville, and spent many years in car sales, and advertising sales. He also co-owned the Mansfield Academy of Dance with his daughter Mia.
Bruce’s music and performance career began at a young age, first performing “Blue Suede Shoes” at an elementary school talent show. He performed with many bands over the years, including his first band, The Gas Company, Tonight Only, The Kidsville Kuckoo Revue, Dinosaurs After Dark, and, most recently, The Bruce John Genre Jam.
For the past 20 years Bruce dedicated his life to helping others, mostly through his music. He spearheaded numerous benefits furthering the causes of hunger and homelessness. For many years he celebrated his birthday by having a dance at the Elks Club to raise money for Project Hope (formerly the No Freeze Shelter). In 2009 he cofounded the Bread Box Folk Theater with his wife Therese, which has raised thousands of dollars for Covenant Soup Kitchen. While Bruce often said that he was not in it for the accolades, he was nonetheless very proud to be named Willimantic’s 31st Cupid in 2012.
He is survived by his wife of thirty-two years, Therese John; his daughter and son-in-law, Mia and Joshua Pomerenke and their children, Logan, Kali, Parker, Greta and Lucy; his daughter and son-in-law Emma John and Sean Riddle; and his siblings Kerry John and Scott St. John. He was predeceased by his parents Lucille and Alfred John; his sister Kim John; and his brother Gary John.
The family would like to thank Jason Altieri and Betsy Harakaly for their love and presence in Bruce’s final days.
There will be a public celebration of life to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Covenant Soup Kitchen, Project Hope, or Creative Living Community of CT. To send an online expression of sympathy, please visit www.baconfh.com
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CT has lost an icon. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love
you make”.
Bruce John grew up in the beautiful downtown Eagleville section of Storrs, CT and has lived there for more than 70 years. He started performing at coffee houses and hootenannies in 1962 and has continued to play guitar & sing professionally for his entire life. He is well known in the area as the Singasaurus from the Kidsville Kuckoo Revue, a band geared towards entertaining families and young children, that he founded in 1989. He was also known as The Human Juke Box, who knows over 400 songs. Bruce was co-founder and owner of the iconic Shaboo Inn, a popular Willimantic nightclub in the seventies. The club brought in every famous band you can imagine from around the world, right here to Mansfield/Willimantic.
At the Shaboo, one of Bruce’s biggest responsibilities was marketing and advertising. This led him to his next career as an advertising account executive for the Chronicle News and the Reminder Press. Bruce’s understanding of business came from first working in his father’s restaurant (Lou’s) in Eagleville, being an active partner in the Shaboo for ten years and then helping scores of business owners in the area in marketing their business with the newspaper. With his wife Therese, they founded the Bread Box Folk Theater in Willimantic in 2009.
Bruce used his past skills at booking great national entertainment to bring touring folk acts and past Shaboo legends to perform at and benefit the Covenant Soup Kitchen. They have raised over $300,000 dollars to date. He also has done a major benefit dance for the past twenty years with his band, the Dinosaurs After Dark (D.A.D.), to pay the $12,000 rent for Project Hope Homeless Shelter in Willimantic… with over $175,000 raised! He willingly donated his music abilities to many other area charities such as the American Cancer Society, Windham Area Interfaith Ministry, Windham Aids Program, Chocolate Festival, Eastern Ct. RailRoad Museum etc. or anyone else who needed his help at the time.
Rest in peace, Bruce. Sing on…
