Bruce Higgins, 51, West Roxbury dad, prolific youth sports coach, and Boston cop

Bruce W. Higgins Jr. of West Roxbury, 51, passed away on November 2, 2025, surrounded by his loving family after a courageous 6-year battle with Melanoma. Through it all, he was a warrior and always remained positive.

Born in Boston, raised in West Roxbury, Bruce graduated from Catholic Memorial High School in 1993 and went on to receive his Bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater State College and a Master’s degree from Western New England College.

After completing the Boston Police Academy in 2003, Bruce then worked as a police officer and detective in C-11 (Dorchester) and the Youth Violent Strike Force (Gang Unit). During his career, he received many prestigious commendations and accolades, including the Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Award, the highest law enforcement award in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, all while remaining humble.

Bruce was a dominant presence on the basketball court. He was part of the CM Knights and the Bridgewater State College Bears. During those years, he was an integral part of the successes of both teams. Bruce was a member of the 1,000 Point Club and Hall of Fame at both CM and Bridgewater.

His passion for basketball is what drew him to coaching. You could always find Bruce coaching his kids and their friends in almost every sport, including Parkway Youth Flag-Football, Parkway Youth Soccer, Parkway Travel Soccer, WRCC Basketball, Parkway Travel Basketball, Parkway Little League, and Parkway Softball. “Coach Bruce,” as he was known by so many in the parkway community, impacted and enhanced the lives of so many young kids with his gift of coaching these many sports.

He was later given the opportunity to coach basketball at his alma mater, CM, and the rest is history. Because of his reputation and knowledge of the sport, he quickly gained the respect of the young men on both the JV and Varsity teams, bringing his sidekick, his 8-year-old son Ryan, along for the ride, which included winning the state title in 2015.

Bruce was a huge Celtics fan and loved going to games with his family. He enjoyed golfing, hanging out with friends, and vacationing with his family, especially in Aruba. Bruce was hilarious and had a great sense of humor. He always had everyone laughing.

Bruce was the epitome of a family man. Nothing came before his family, and he always made sure they had everything they needed and more. He was an incredible father. Watching Maddie and Ryan grow into amazing adults filled him with such pride. They were his greatest joys in life. Bruce married Lori, the love of his life, and they were happily married for 26 years. They shared tons of laughter, respect, and just pure love. It was really something special.

Bruce was the beloved husband of Lori (McInnis). Loving father of Madelyn, Ryan, and his two angel daughters, Megan and Emma. Dear brother of Heidi (Higgins) Petrilli and her husband, Fred, of Norton. Cherished son of the late Bruce Higgins Sr. and Bernardine (Whelan) Higgins. Also survived by his three brother-in-laws and seven nieces and nephews.

Bruce’s Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, November 10th, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Theresa of Avila Church, 2078 Centre St., West Roxbury. Visiting hours will be held Sunday, November 9th, from 2-7 p.m. at the William J. Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre St., WEST ROXBURY. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.

Bruce will be laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bruce’s memory may be made to the Center for Melanoma Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, https://www.dana-farber.org/cancer-care/treatment/melanoma.

This local obituary is published via Legacy.com and William J. Gormley Funeral Home. Want a loved one’s obituary featured on Boston.com? Submit your obituary here, or email it to [email protected].