Bruce A. Ferguson

Salem – Bruce A. Ferguson, 83, died at home on the family farm with his son, daughter and cat Percy by his side. The cause was acute myeloid leukemia. 

Bruce was a true son of Salem, the sixth generation of Scottish descendants to farm in Washington County starting in the early 1800s. Bruce served for 16 years as Salem town supervisor and as town board councilman for 10 years. 

Bruce graduated as salutatorian from Salem Washington Academy in 1959 and from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, majoring in economics and rural government. 

His father Stuart died suddenly before his college graduation. Bruce, the youngest of four children, came home to take care of the family’s Scott Hill Farm. He never left.

Bruce was an exceptional dairy farmer and high-quality milk producer, known for his care of animals. In 1986 a national milk surplus forced many small-sized dairy farms out of business. The dairy cows were sold, a sad time for the family. Bruce retained the farmland and raised Beefalo, a cross between Bison and domestic cattle.  

In 1990, Bruce reinvented himself by entering local politics. He led a great number of committees and held a number of county and town positions in the decades that followed, with much of his time volunteered. 

Bruce was known as a kind man with a good heart and a wry sense of humor. He could be quiet and reserved but grew into leadership.  

Some of the causes he dedicated his time to were protecting the area’s farmland, supporting local railroads, and preserving Washington County’s historic covered bridges. 

Bruce was a founding member of the Courthouse Preservation Association, which adapted the shuttered county courthouse and jail in Salem into a community kitchen and space. He also helped to establish the Georgi Museum along the Battenkill River in Shushan.  

He served for 10 years on the Salem Board of Education, was a licensed realtor and a certified New York State assessor, chaired the Washington County Board of Assessors and was vice chair of the Washington County Board of Supervisors. 

He supported local development and tourism as director of Adirondack North Country Association, director of the Washington County Local Development Corporation, board member of Lakes to Locks Passage, and member of the Office for Aging Advisory Council.

In 1997, he was named chair of the Warren-Washington Counties Industrial Development Agency. For his work creating the industrial park in Kingsbury, a road was named in his honor. 

He also was a Washington County committee chair for solid waste, public safety, and planning and community development, and he represented the county at the New York State Association of Counties. 

Bruce, a licensed EMT, volunteered for Salem Rescue Squad as first responder and ambulance driver and also served as squad president. For many years, he was a trustee for Evergreen and Cossayuna Lake cemeteries.

He loved the Grand Ol’ Opry, local history and picnics at Scott Lake. Many of Bruce’s closest kinships were with his animal friends, including his childhood cow Princess, the family dog Thumper, and his emotional support cat Percy. 

He is predeceased by his father Stuart and mother Isabel (Stewart) Ferguson, and sisters Lois Hill of Maine and Marian Williams of Pennsylvania. Survivors include son Matthew Ferguson, daughter Kirsten Ferguson, brother Donald Ferguson of Virginia, and many friends, nieces and nephews. 

Thanks to the nurses at Glens Falls Hospital C.R. Wood Cancer Center, who were very kind to Bruce and whom he loved.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 am Saturday, July 12, 2025 at the Historic Salem Courthouse, 58 East Broadway, Salem, NY.

Email brucefergusonmemorial@gmail.com for details. Contributions may be made to Historic Salem Courthouse P.O. Box 140, Salem, NY 12865, the Salem Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 360, Salem, NY 12865

To offer condolences to the family, please visit www.gariepyfuneralhomes.com 

The McClellan-Gariepy Funeral Home, Inc. in Salem is assisting the family with arrangements.

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