Bruce

“It is our hope that by passing along the stories of so many that gave to much to Kansas City, future generations might also be inspired to keep alive The Spirit of Kansas City, which, as Joyce Hall said, ‘is that something good in the human heart which allows us to com together, placing service above self, to accomplish the impossible.’”

For more than 35 years, at most of the nonprofit charitable events in town, the “man behind the camera” was Bruce Mathews, often donating his time and talent to support dozens of local charities. His professional photography career took him on assignments throughout the U.S. When Bruce and his wife Melanie’s son Andy died in an accident in 2014, Bruce decided not to “retire,” but to transition from assignments to do projects he wanted to do and to spend more time with family. His labor-of-love project in the intervening years has been the publication of six different books highlighting various aspects of Kansas City history. Bruce, his co-publishers and contributing authors have used the books to raise funds for various charities, including three historic cemeteries (Elmwood, Union and Mount Washington), Friends of Sacred Structures, the Missouri Valley Room at the Kansas City Public Library and Gillis (now Cornerstones of Care.) He is a past recipient of the Kansas City Spirit Award, the Toastmasters International/District 22”s Communication and Leadership Award, and the Excellence in Community Service Award from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution