The Partial Observer by William Bellen

Community Remembers the Dedicated Life of Bruce Shultis

On Saturday, June 21, a memorial service and celebration of life was held at the Otego Methodist Church for Bruce Shultis. A man of fine character, Shultis was hard working and served his community. He was a tradesman and carpenter for most of his life, a craft he was both enamored with and exceptionally skilled at.

His line of work was far from where his talents ended, though. Shultis was a proud and ever-present member of the Goodyear Lake Association for decades. Serving numerous terms as both president and vice president of the organization, he led the charge on countless important initiatives that have shaped the association’s modern makeup.

Preceding the 2007 centennial celebration of the Colliersville Dam’s construction, the GYLA sat at around 50 members. Achieving stewardship of the association shortly before the centennial, Shultis brought this number up to nearly 200. He then took on the role of the centennial celebration’s primary organizer, reaching out and inviting relatives of those who were involved in the dam’s initial construction a century prior. Shultis also put together the agreements that stand to this day, which supply the GYLA with fireworks for its annual celebrations. Shultis was an instrumental figure in the 2000s, a role that would continue in the years to come.

Arguably his most notable feat with the organization was his work with Goodyear Lake access sites. Shultis initially sought to become involved in a state grant program to improve the 11 GYLA access points around the lake. However, after consulting officials, it was discovered that funding in this manner would require each access point to be declared as a state park, which would be contrary to the quaint lake community setting Shultis had been working so hard to foster. To combat this, he worked directly with the late state Senator James Seward to repurpose a $15,000.00 grant through the Department of Environmental Conservation to revitalize and construct a new waterway access in Portlandville.

This site, the first to be handicap accessible in the area, was completed in partnership with DEC and the Otsego County Conservation Association. The grand opening in 2015 commenced with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with both Senator Seward and Shultis in attendance to recognize the achievement. The success and popularity of this site would go on to spark the later addition of a handicap-accessible waterway access across the lake at Silliman Cove.

Whether it be his constant commitment to the environmental preservation of Goodyear Lake, the partnerships with countless organizations to get more people involved in the area, or the bonds he built fostering a real community around the lake, Shultis’ impact cannot be understated. This is a sentiment that many of his colleagues and friends have stood by to this day, celebrating a life that shaped so many.

Ann Bennett: “I was on the board many, many years ago for the Goodyear Lake Association. We used to have the meetings at their home. Bruce was always so organized, such a great person, and he did a lot for us and we’re all very grateful.”

Brenda Brooks, current secretary of the GYLA: “I’m directly across the street neighbors to Bruce and Joyce, and I’ve got to say, Bruce has been a wonderful man. Always walking out to look at the lake every single day. We caught up all the time at the mailboxes and really miss him.”

Pete Paffenroth, current president of the GYLA: “He’s done everything that he could for the lake … [He initiated nearly] everything going that has to do with the lake association. I mean, he’s just been a great person that really cared about the lake and the environment and everything.”

Ellen Schmitt: “I can say that Bruce had probably been the most active in the preservation and maintenance of all of the parkways for many years. Oftentimes [he] brought to our meetings lists of things that needed to be done on the parkways, or lists of things that had been done on the parkways. He was always instrumental in tracking down infringements on the parkways. So he was always acting on behalf of all of us.”

Donna Schultes, GYLA board member: “Three couples that were instrumental in the 90s and then into the 2000s would be the Henrys, the Stayters, and the Schultises…Like any organization, you go through peaks and valleys of enthusiasm and membership, activity, all of that, and they really energized the organization again, and we hope to continue all of that into the future. But the one thing I really remember about Bruce in particular was his calm demeanor and his way of approaching things in a very level-headed, fair manner. And that has really been a great hallmark for us in dealing with some circumstances from time to time. So I always admire and value him for that.”

Francine Stayter: “He is one of those modest, unassuming people whose strength, determination, and intelligence made contributions that often go unnoticed but serve as a reminder that we stand on the shoulders of quiet giants.”

Vincent Stayter: “An impressive individual to turn a membership around as much as he did, then to really basically put [Goodyear Lake] on the map …We’d meet at his house every single year, for years, print out the envelopes, stuff the envelopes, and the monies out, track everybody coming in. He created a spreadsheet for our treasurer to follow—who paid, when, and where, and how often. Kept it alive. He was a protector. He was a builder and a protector of this waterway, and the entire ethos, if you will, of the Goodyear Lake Association.”

A man of many talents, fields of expertise, and too many accomplishments to count, Bruce Shultis will be a name forever remembered by those who live along the banks of Goodyear Lake, a waterway defined by decades of one man’s service to his beloved community.

William Bellen is a resident of the Goodyear Lake community.