I met Bruce over 25 years ago at a SWST annual meeting. He was leading a national research effort establishing CORRIM II to document the environmental performance of wood from forest through its conversion into products and their use.  He persuaded many scientists in the USA and Canada to join the effort; likewise he persuaded many universities, trade associations, research institutions, and federal agencies to both partake and help fund the effort.  Bruce was a true leader and professional, with the vision, inclusiveness, and effort to make CORRIM II an internationally recognized program.  He accomplished all of this with a persistent smile and positive attitude.
Bruce’s approach to conducting research accomplished CORRIM II’s goals while also enriching my own life.  As mentioned many times, but deserves repeating, Bruce was most personable, speaking often of his passions for wine tasting and collecting, gathering with friends, boating adventures, and fishing trips; he seemed to especially enjoy talking about family and gatherings at favorite restaurants.  He always spoke with great delight and positivity. I will always remember Bruce’s and his wife Barbara’s hospitality, when after a long day of a CORRIM working group meetings, hosting receptions at their houseboat on Lake Union.
At one such reception, Bruce invited us to all climb aboard his cabin boat and head out to a restaurant on the Lake. On this excursion he had us all walk the plank. As we approached the restaurant all the docks were occupied by other boats, so he headed to a group of pilings with a single vertical board nailed to them.  We had to walk this plank on its narrow edge to and from the restaurant. Not a single person hesitated to walk, not a single person fell in the lake—Bruce’s positive, can-do attitude carried through to us. Yes, as usual, it was a fine meal with great fellowship.
I will always appreciate having known and worked with Bruce, he greatly enriched my life. He is a one of a kind gentlemen, who will always be remembered.  Here’s a toast to Bruce, his life and his family.

Bruce was a good man. He hired me out of graduate school when he lead CINTRAFOR and gave me a start on what has become a wonderful career. He took great joy in his work, his family and colleagues, and in helping young people grow into informed professionals. It wasn't often that you had a conversation with him about topics outside of work - except for fishing. He looked forward every year to his fishing trip to Alaska with his kids. We were all lucky to have had him in our lives and he truly did leave this earth better than how he found it. Peace to his family.

Bruce kindly accepted me as a graduate student after I decided to study forestry and ecological modeling at UW. I moved from Japan to the US and tried to find my new life. Without Bruce, I couldn't build my career and business I support my family and myself. I remember the story he told me that he calculated missile's trajectory with his math skills. He was so smart and inspiring. I thank Bruce. I miss him and his smile.

I was so fortunate to be besties with Holly, so when I met Mr. Lippke, I was in fourth grade, hence Mr. Lippke. He was at the literal helm of so many skiing and boating adventures. I could pick out the back of his head in a crowd. In the wee hours, we'd be barreling down the road in a multi-toned 70's live-in van towards a mountain. We'd arrive in front of the chair lifts starting, throw ourselves (me) repeatedly down a steep slope and if we were following Eric, a densely wooded one. At exactly midpoint we'd pack back to the van for a delicious lunch. Mr. & Mrs. Lippke did not mess around with food and fine dining regardless of the consumption locale. While I would have been thrilled to call it a day after eating, that was/is not the Lippke way. 
Bruce's sense of adventure (future self) and zest for living flows through his children, grandchildren and the greats to come. Bruce and Barbara have always been such gracious hosts. Especially remarkable to me is their shared practice of throwing a wide net embracing their family as well as their families friends.
I am sorry for his passing but will celebrate a life very well lived!
Love,
Leslie

Brooke and I will always fondly remember Bruce for so graciously leading us on four SEFS wine tasting trips. Thank you, Bruce, for introducing us to Washington wine! We send Barb our warmest wishes and sincerest condolences.

I knew Bruce as a fellow houseboater, association member, wine taster, and artist. Everything they say about his friendly inclusiveness he provided to me. The frustrations of dock management, board meetings, and a long lawsuit were tempered by his confident good humor and balance. When I would lose sight of the intended goal, he pulled me back on line with that wonderful chuckle of his. It still rings.

We were honored to be included in many special occasions at his favorite restaurant over the years. Janet and I were honored to have known him for nearly thirty years.

I had the honor of becoming a yoga-pilates trainer for Barb and Bruce 10 years ago. At the time they lived on a houseboat at Eastlake. I was always amazed and inspired by their energetic and active lifestyle; I seem to remember Bruce often building things on the rooftop and preparing to host parties. He was very dedicated to fitness, which allowed him to go on some rigorous fishing trips well into his 80s.
I learned a little bit about wine from him, quite a passion of his that he generously shared.
I was also impressed with Bruce’s intellectual productivity and dedication to his forestry research, a great example of how to stay sharp after retirement.
When Barb and Bruce moved to Park Shore they were so kind to help me find a part-time position there while continuing private sessions. Looking back, it’s amazing how many hours I spent with them! I also had the pleasure of meeting their big, wonderful family.
Although there’s a lot I don’t know about him, I can’t imagine Bruce having lived a life much fuller.

It was my pleasure to have met Bruce, attended many of his presentations and referenced many of his publications during my years as an active member of the Washington Forest Protection Association and advocate for the Forest Industry in Washington State. His presentations were insightful, timely, always well done. His publications are a treasure trove of meaningful, useful, timely information.  My sincere condolences to family and friends.

Bruce was a wonderful person and warrior for the truth about the economic of forestry, wood, carbon and introduced us to research on Lifecycle Assessment of building materials in the early-2000s. A wholistic way of viewing true environmental benefits of using wood. A true leader with memorable sayings like, "There are a zillion things we could do to reduce emissions related to how we use wood." And, "How much wood do you see between where you are and the nearest forest?" I will always remember Bruce and the force he was for this positive change and wake up calls. His spirit will live on!

Bruce has given the greatest "aha" moments when I met Bruce in the late 1990 to early 2010 while working with the CORRIM group on several projects, The first was the SAF Publication on "Forest Management Solution for Mitigating Climate Change" in the United States. I represented the Federal Government's viewpoint on woody biomass utilization as the team leader. We discussed the implication of the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of a wood product. He helped me and many others understand the nuances of the LCA for the layperson. He had the unique ability to break down complex issues into simpler to understand constructs. The second was honored to work with him and the CORRIM to help the Team streamline ideas and become more effective in all their out comes. I believe they learned more about communicating and better becoming a more effective Team! The after parties were more social sharing his beautify home their deck overlooking the ocean/lake while tasting and learning about trully delight full bodied blends! He is a true gentlemen and a scholar, We will miss him sorely! Take Care Friend & RIP!

Bruce was truly a wonderful human, mentor and friend. Bruce’s generosity spanned work, life, family and friends and made it so easy for him to bring someone under his wing, welcome them into his circle or introduce them to the wonders of wood products, forests, engineering, wine tasting, fact sheets, collaborations, and so much more. I am forever grateful for his leadership, his friendship and his kind spirit.

In all honesty, I was scared of Bruce when I first met him over 22 years ago. Little did I know, that Bruce would give my career a big boost and turn CORRIM into an internationally recognized word. Bruce taught me about displacement, substitution, and wine tasting; all of which I have incorporated into my daily life. It was a real pleasure working with Bruce on the “Plant a trillion trees campaign to reduce global warming - Fleshing out the concept” paper in 2021. The paper was like an open canvas for Bruce to bring together information from over 20 years of LCA research, and to show the world that sustainable forest management and the use of wood products provide one of societies “best carbon negative technologies”. Every time I read them, I can hear Bruce saying those words, followed by, “we should make a fact sheet”. Bruce’s vision and legacy will continue and move CORRIM into its third decade and beyond. For that and his friendship I thank Bruce. I thank him for what he has taught me over the years, and I will make it my mission to keep building on his achievements. I will miss his energy, enthusiasm, support, and kindness.

Bruce was always the consummate professional in appearance, demeanor, and speaking. This represented his work well in various arenas — science, resource management, and policy. He would sometimes be in situations where he could have been argumentative, but chose to take the high road and let the information produced by himself and colleagues do the talking. This set a great example for students and others who worked with him. The body of knowledge he produced at UW is still widely cited, influencing forestry, carbon science, and sustainability fields. He made a big contribution and did it with class.

Bruce was one of the most influential people in my life. I met him as I began grad school. He was instrumental in my education, not just in completing my degree but in imparting to me the kind of wisdom and knowledge that you don't learn in a classroom. He taught me new ways of looking at and thinking about difficult issues. He taught me to look more broadly and deeply at a problem to gain a more complete understanding and avoid pitfalls. When others would look at things narrowly, Bruce could always see the bigger picture, recognize a broader network of cause and effect relationships, and anticipate unintended consequences. I have many fond memories of sitting in his office learning things. I was fortunate to be working with Bruce as RTI got launched, and when I graduated he brought me on as RTI staff. Bruce was willing to give me a chance when I was young and inexperienced, and in doing so he started me on a path toward a fulfilling career in academia. Bruce was a brilliant and generous man and an exceptional teacher, mentor, and supervisor. I am grateful for everything he taught me and all the opportunities he gave me.

It was an honor to have known Bruce as a colleague at the University of Washington. We shared an office suite in Anderson Hall and had many intellectually stimulating conversations about modeling, optimization and supply side economics. I remember one particular comparison Bruce had made as to how challenging it was mathematically to model forest ecosystems relative to space missions such as sending a payload to Venus (which, if I remember correctly, was one of the projects he had worked on while at NACA - predecessor to NASA). I also have fond memories of dinner parties on his house boat on Lake Union; sipping wine in the sunset, sampling his newest halibut recipes and hearing about his fishing "expeditions" in Alaska. My deepest condolences to your Loved Ones. RIP

I was lucky enough to meet Bruce in the early 80s, when he moved east, to lead Wharton Econometrics, and Jim Smith invited me to work for him there. After so many years, I still have fond memories of the place and the people. Bruce's leadership helped so many people flourish. I've always looked back on those years and remembered his energy, kindness and humor. He will be missed.

Bruce was one of the best bosses I ever had. It was a great pleasure and privilege working with him. He will be greatly missed!

Please accept my sincere sympathies for Bruce who was both a creative and wonderful scholar and individual. I appreciate getting to know him through NBEIC and enjoyed the houseboat tour. We will all miss him!

I met Bruce Lippke for the first time at a FPRS conference in 1991. In the course of that conference the possibility of forming a life-cycle oriented research group was discussed in a meeting of about 35 people. Bruce was one of the first to embrace this idea and an enthusiastic volunteer to investigate and lead next steps. CORRIM II was the result. Bruce turned out to be the driving force as well as the glue that held the loosely organized group together and built it to what it is today.

He had a way of thinking about things that was different and refreshing. Was able to conjure up methods of making the details understandable to general audiences, with always an eye on the big picture. He leaves behind a legacy that will persist long into the future.

Not only was Bruce a great leader in scientific pursuits, but in the social realm as well. The CORRIM group meetings in Seattle were always a treat as he and Barbara went all out to make sure everyone had an enjoyable experience. They had those salmon dinner, roof-of houseboat get-togethers on Puget Sound down to a science and always with the perfect wines to match the occasion.

Farewell to a good friend and a great scientist.

I remember Bruce's kindness and joy in proving events he organized for colleagues and friends - He brought wine for tasting at gatherings at Western Forest Economist's meetings (he enjoyed describing the features of each wine). He treated a large group by taking us all to dinner at is long time favorite Italian restaurant (maybe in association with a Forest Products Society meeting). I especially remember and value the warm hospitality he and his wife offered at salmon dinners on his house boat in Seattle. He was among the kindest colleagues I knew from my career in the Forest Service. May all who knew him and mourn his loss, be comforted by the gratitude of colleagues for his generosity and kindness.

In the early days of my career at Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Bruce certainly keep me on my toes with his sharp analytical mind, wit and humor. Bruce dedicated a lot to DNR to make it a more effective organization. Bruce was always generous with his time and I learned a lot from him. DNR and I are better for having known Bruce. He will be missed.

The only words we can use to describe Bruce are exceptional and versatile. He was exceptional in all he accomplished. During his life is was a mathematician, economist, rocket scientist, forest scientist, artist, and always a great family man.

We feel fortunate to have known him as a colleague and a friend.

Don and Kris Hanley

About My Friend Bruce

On rare occasions, the most fortunate of us get to meet an individual that will become pivotal in enhancing the quality of our lives. For a significant number of folks academically associated with forestry analytics, this particular person was Bruce Lippke as was certainly the case for me. I first met Bruce more than 30 years ago, when, as a rural refugee from the “spotted owl” wars, I wanted to better understand disappointing forest policy developments by seeking council from experts among the faculty at the University of Washington. Bruce, at that time, was a UW Professor and the Director of the Center for International Trade in Forest Products (CINTRAFOR). I was particularly interested in his work on landscape management alternatives; the findings of which were later published as “Economic Analysis of Forest Landscape Management Alternatives ”. Although we hailed from very different backgrounds, there was ready agreement that economic and environmental trade-offs associated with forestry arguments were all too often misunderstood and mischaracterized and robust analyses were needed to better inform policy choices. While I was in grad school at UW, we shared discussions on the techniques and tools that might be used for such undertakings.

In 2000, Bruce hired me to be the Project Coordinator of the newly-formed Rural Technology Initiative (RTI) at UW. We would work hard together on a numerous variety of forestry research projects for most of the next twenty years; until completion of our last paper in 2019 . He was to me a learned mentor, an esteemed colleague, one of the smartest men that I’ve ever known, and a damned good friend. The BEST. 

Over the years, he taught me a lot; much of which reflected in the approaches to and outcomes from research projects. For instance, when opportunities for funding arose the objective was to write a compelling proposal and secure the grant. We could figure out how to do the project once the money was secure…and we always did. When you are a “soft-money” researcher you are either overworked (funded) or unemployed (unfunded).

Most projects began with study of the history. “You can’t know where you’re going if don’t know where you’ve been.” Our working papers and legislative reports always opened with historical summaries that established context for the research question. A common theme was that conservation of valuable resources was best achieved through careful management of forests rather than abandonment of forest lands to preservation. Another was based in the fundamental economic understanding that market demands will be met in some fashion or another and at greater or lesser cumulative costs. In other words, restriction of supplies while failing to reduce demand merely shifts provision of required products to other areas with consequent increases to both market and non-market costs.

These and many other examples of Lippke approaches to problem analyses reflect a big picture generalist world view, often found lacking in highly specialized academic research outputs. It was Bruce’s curiosity about the sum of the parts combined with uncanny retention of details and never-ending spreadsheets (sending even the bravest-of-heart nerds running for cover) that gave him highly acclaimed successes with programs such as CINTRAFOR, CORRIM, and RTI.

That and his leadership abilities... Bruce did not micro-manage or disrespect his employees. Bruce surrounded himself with people that could be relied upon and then turned them loose. We got assignments and then figured out how to do them. Excellence and independence, along with experimentation, were expected in Lippke shops. We were fortunately positioned within the UW to “high-grade the sort”. We picked the cream-of-the-crop students for our research assistants and eventual colleagues.

But it wasn’t all work. Bruce and Barb were always the host and hostess with the mostest. Many wonderful evenings were spent with shared dinners and wine while watching the sunset from the roof of their Lake Union houseboat. No matter how challenging our workloads or disappointing the UW bureaucracy, when it was wine-thirty at the generous Lippke household, we let our collective hair down. From these get-togethers we formed enduring relationships that were powerfully inspiring. It showed in our work and remains formative in our lives. Thank you Bruce. Your friendship for all these years has been a privilege for which I shall always be grateful. I see your smiling face as I write this note and I hear the Lippke laugh that can never be forgotten. Thanks to you as well, Barb, for also being such an important friend. Our hearts are with you. 

Most Sincerely,

Larry Mason
RTI Project Coordinator (Retired)

Bruce was flat out a wonderful person. He was thoughtful, engaging, generous, and inclusive. He was always willing to bring people into his tent and discuss (or research) issues to great depth and leave no stone unturned in getting there. He was exceptionally bright and quick on his feet. He dove into wood product life cycle assessment with vigor and helped greatly in advancing the field. He will be remembered for his work, but perhaps more importantly for the lasting impression he had on those that worked with him and that benefited from his knowledge, wisdom, and kind heart.  

Bruce Lippke brought wood product life cycle assessments into the limelight. His keen thirst for knowledge coupled with the ability to start a new organization, CORRIM, gave the forest sector the ability to understand and measure their positive environmental impact well over 20 years ago. For that he will always be remembered. I first met Bruce when I was a grad student at UW, and I always appreciated the “real-life” aspect he brought to UW-CFR, probably stemming from his first long career at Weyerhaeuser. I mostly agreed with his views but the times I differed I appreciated the honest and open debates. Most of all, Bruce was an incredibly kind and generous human. He loved his colleagues and students and was generous with his time, and his wine! His generosity continued long past any of his supposed “retirements” and he and Barb have provided a wonderful atmosphere for any that knew them. We are all better off for having known him and his contributions to science.

Thoughts on the Passing of Bruce Lippke
I’ve often thought of what made Bruce Lippke so special. What made him a solid family man? an excellent manager? an excellent scientist? and a mentor to people such as I who was already mid-way through my life when I met Bruce--but learned an incredible amount from him? I learned how to enjoy life more, how to manage better, and how to be a better scientist.
1. As a scientist, Bruce had a “nerd-like” interest and excitement in examining science—these led to an admirable creativity. He had an infectious laugh that was almost a giggle when he discussed the subtleties of a scientific concept. And, he enjoyed delving deeply into the science.
2. He also had a hands-on approach to delving deeply into the science. On several occasions, Bruce and I would discuss a scientific issue or analysis just before quitting time on Friday. On Monday morning, he would burst excitedly into my office and say: “Remember what we talked about Friday? I spent the weekend analyzing some data and look what I found… And show me a pile of graphs and charts.”
3. He was extremely quick to pick up a new idea and grasp its nuances. From there, he would move quickly into the question of “How do we make use of this.” And, then stimulate the creativity for all of us by these questions.
4. He would equally comfortably lead on an idea or assist if someone else was leading. And, he would work tirelessly either as the leader or the follower. Consequently, one never felt any hesitation that he would steal or distort someone else’s ideas.
5. With people, he separated issues and personalities. He may strongly disagree with a person on one issue (and he would be a formidable opponent), but not hold a grudge beyond that topic—whether he won or lost. And, he could agree and be a strong supporter on another issue. Consequently, we all felt comfortable expressing our frank opinions around him.
6. He could be a subtle or blatant supporter of an issue, depending on what was needed. I remember once when our LMS (Landscape Management System) computer model crashed in the middle of a demonstration, we were all embarrassed and dejected. Suddenly, Bruce started talking about his early work launching rockets at Cape Canaveral (before Cape Kennedy). We were completely baffled why he brought it up until he started talking about rockets misfiring and chasing the news reporters off of their viewing stand. (The message was, of course, keep going; these glitches happen everywhere.)
7. Despite his enthusiasm that seemed at times almost childish, he could be very subtle and effective in understanding nuances of a negotiation and reaching a positive outcome. And, he could recognize, defer to, and support someone else working with him who had the “golden touch” in a particularly situation.
8. To Bruce, there seemed to be no ego involved in his work. The focus was on providing positive, useful outcomes—and, by the way (he used to frequently say “by the way”) let’s enjoy ourselves while doing it.
9. By focusing on the issues and scientific/technical questions, Bruce engaged everyone much more than had he tried to focus on the people themselves. I’ve wondered if he was conscious of this as a technique or if this focus was just part of his overall engaging personality.
10. I once asked Bruce if he ever got discouraged. He answered, laughingly: “Only if I run out of alternative courses of action.” And, of course, running out of alternatives was very difficult for such a creative person.
11. Bruce had a very sincere concern about the environment and wanted to do things to make it better. But, he did not endorse bandwagons or fads. Rather, he looked for truly scientific and technical solutions that would make a real difference.
I am sure the above list could be much longer. All of the behaviors described above were wrapped into such a positive, sunny disposition that it is difficult to recognize how strongly he motivated those around him to positive ends.
I am very glad and fortunate to have known and worked with Bruce. Although I felt fulfilled before I met him, he made my life even happier and more interesting. I hope I have captured at least a part of made Bruce special, because if we could bottle it and give it to everyone, the world would be a better place. 
--Chad Oliver
  (2002-2020) Pinchot Professor Emeritus,
  School of the Environment, Yale University
 (1975-2002) Professor,
College of the Environment, University of Washington

Bruce was a one of a kind gentleman who was always eager to assist whenever needed. Although I met him when he worked at Weyerhaeuser, it wasn't until he joined the UW faculty around 1990 that I had the opportunity to work with him. A couple of projects that led to a cooperative relationship were the eastside timber supply study, an analysis of the DNR HCP, and an effort to extend the WA RTI into a regional cooperative. He was an intellectual power and a great asset to our College. Additionally, he was a tireless leader for the efficient use of our natural resources managed sustainably for future generations. He will be missed but never forgotten.

Bonnie and I extend our heartfelt sympathy to Barbara, their children and their partners, and other family members upon their loss. We remember all of the good times shared with the family at their home, on their boat and at various social events. Thank you for sharing Bruce so graciously.

Bruce was as true visionary. I so appreciated working with, and learning from, him over the past 22 years. His view of operational research influences my thinking to this day. He taught me that we can't solve problems with the mindset that created them and we can't solve them at all if we are looking inside the box of our narrow view of the world. That expansiveness and focus on operational research to solve real world problems is what made CORRIM relevant way before it was fashionable to worry about environmental performance. And that broad perspective is what continues to ensure its relevance to this day.