Bios for 2023 Eastern PA Chapter USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductees 

August 22, 2023 by Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/22/23

Peter Samson Award

Bruce T. Ikeda
(posthumously)
(Conestoga Youth Lacrosse, Mesa Fresh Lacrosse Club)

We are honored to give the Peter Samson Award, albeit posthumously, to Bruce T. Ikeda – a long-time friend and supporter of the PLA – in recognition of his outstanding character and his commitment and devotion to the game of lacrosse and the lacrosse community of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Affectionately known as “Big Guy” and “The Mayor,” Bruce sadly passed away in January 2023 after bravely battling stomach cancer, which he faced with determination and optimism notwithstanding his prognosis.

An Allentown native, Bruce never played lacrosse but learned the game by osmosis. He was always around the sport with his wife Anne supporting their three sons – Brian, Casey, and Jamie, all of whom enjoyed remarkable careers playing defense at Conestoga High School and collegiately at Providence, Maryland, and Duke, respectively.

Bruce was always jovial, genuine, and a consummate networker or “connector.” He kept competition in perspective and made sincere efforts to promote sportsmanship and camaraderie and develop personal relationships. He possessed a rare ability to connect with players, coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, managers, and parents at every level of lacrosse – youth, club, college, and professional. He was a mentor to many young athletes. Tellingly, he was known to stop by players’ homes to drop off inspirational books.

Without exception, Bruce would network with anyone and everyone. No one was ever surprised to see him mixing with players on opposing teams and with their coaches and parents, not to mention the stadium ticket-takers, security personnel, those broadcasting the game, and those working in concession stands. Somehow, Bruce seemed to be on a “first name basis” with referees officiating any given game, probably because he made a point to bring them cold water and offer them snacks during halftime.

Bruce served on the Conestoga Youth Lacrosse (CYL) board when it was formed in 1999. He was a founding father of the Mesa Fresh Club Lacrosse Program along with a handful of his “Dad Coach” friends in 2006. He served on the Katie Samson High School Lacrosse Festival Committee for years, helping to raise money to support spinal cord research. He retired not long ago so he could pursue charitable interests, including serving as a mentor with the Youth Mentoring Program in the Coatesville School District and as a board member at Help Hope Live. He supported the PLA’s annual golf outing for thirty straight years; invariably he was the first person to register for the event.

He will be remembered as a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, sibling, uncle, friend, mentor, as well as a beloved member of the Philadelphia lacrosse community for over two decades.

Full article can be found here.