La Conner blessed with lasting memories of iconic nonagenarians

One was a true La Conner original, scion of a storied pioneer family, blessed with a bevy of talents – singing, strumming and storytelling among them.

The other was born on the other side of the country, in industrial Pittsburgh, and built an amazing career in southern California before bringing his myriad creative skills and good cheer to La Conner.

Both lived richly full lives, artists in their own way, each enjoying more than 90 trips around the sun before passing in recent weeks.

Bruce McCormick and Bob Abrams. So different, yet so much alike. And so dearly missed in La Conner and beyond.

McCormick was a regular at La Conner Barber Shop, which he frequented monthly, as much to regale others with a slew of entertaining stories – most focused on hunting and history, all sprinkled with humor – as for the haircuts.

"Bruce was a fun guy in here," barber Tony Holt recalled. "We loved all his hunting stories. He was a such a great guy."

Abrams, on the other hand, rarely – if ever – settled into a barber's chair. He let his silver hair grow long, pulled into a ponytail. His was a distinct appearance whether in a gallery, on a golf course or at Stompin' Grounds Coffee at Sixth and Morris.

"I loved listening to Bob's Disney stories during the morning sessions at the coffee shop," longtime La Conner area resident Linda Rumbolt told the Weekly News.

McCormick and Abrams each knew hardship growing up.

McCormick had just turned six-years-old when in January of 1937 the family house on the La Conner Flats was razed by fire. In a wide-ranging autobiographical video posted on social media, McCormick recalled being relieved that a favorite cattle-and-barn toy set had been salvaged from the blaze.

Abrams suffered a childhood illness that for a time confined him to a wheelchair. It was then, with his mobility limited, that he spent hours honing his passion for illustration, creating images he would eventually submit to Disney and would lead to his acclaimed work in animation.

Both wore the Renaissance Man tag well.

McCormick was an outdoorsman, dairyman, commercial truck driver, musician, humorist, manager of an aquatic avian refuge and avid collector, be it baseball caps, waterfowl paintings, duck decoys, vintage firearms and most any kind of memorabilia with historical value. Especially items related to local history.

Holt said that among McCormick's collection of waterfowl art, believed to number more than 100 prints, were the works of famed naturalist and painter David Hagerbaumer, a champion of worthy causes in La Conner through the years.

McCormick appreciated not only the scenes depicted by Hagerbaumer, but also the moments in time they represent.

"When La Conner lost Bruce," said Kay Frey, a second cousin of his, "it lost not just a legend, but it lost a lot of its history."

McCormick's paternal grandfather (Frey's great-grandfather) came west from Middle America by rail to San Francisco, then boarded a steamer to the Pacific Northwest and joined five other men to row their way to La Conner. The original plan was to stake gold claims in Whatcom County.

"My great-grandfather," Frey told the Weekly News, "ended up liking it so much here that he stayed. He met up with Mr. (Nelson) Chilberg and coincidentally Jim and I lived many years on Chilberg Road."

Though his roots were in the Keystone State, Abrams felt very much at home on the West Coast. He became a much in demand illustrator at Disney, Hanna-Barbera and other top-flight studios in the Los Angeles area and later taught his craft at the collegiate level in California and Washington state.

Like McCormick, Abrams continued to pursue varied interests as he aged. During his La Conner years he branched out into photography and painting, particularly drawn to images of regional bird life.

Former La Conner gallery owner Rebecca Strong, now based on Lopez Island, marketed Abrams' art, two pieces of which were selected for the 2022 Museum of Northwest Art auction fundraiser.

"The paintings I showed of Bob Abrams were his favorites in his collection," Strong reflected. "He told me he needed to let go and share the things that brought him joy.

"I will miss him very much," Strong said of Abrams. "He was an absolute joy to work with and represent his fine artwork."

Strong said Abrams produced artwork until the spring of 2021, when his hands would no longer allow him to paint or draw. Earlier this year he shared with a standing room only crowd at La Conner Swinomish Library his experiences as a professional animator, independent artist and instructor.

"It was such a cool event," said library director Jean Markert.

McCormick graduated from La Conner High School in 1949 and often joked that legendary coach and administrator Jack Whittaker seemed pleased at graduation that he was moving on.

But McCormick hardly severed his ties to La Conner Schools. Quite the contrary, it turned out. He was often called upon to play guitar and sing at La Conner's annual alumni banquet. McCormick was occasionally joined there by his oldest son, Darrell, also a gifted musician and who in a cruel irony passed away just days before his dad.

Among the tunes most frequently requested of McCormick was one harkening back to the carefree days of youth.

Yet, even as he sang the refrain ("I wish I was 18 again"), it was clear that McCormick – as was the case with Abrams – had few qualms about growing older.

Both, in fact, aged quite gracefully.