Man who came from Ghana seeking opportunity, dies at 29

MARLBOROUGH —At age 5, William Bruce-Tagoe and his brother, Edwin, more than three years younger, stayed with their maternal grandparents in Ghana, Africa. Their father, Conrad Bruce-Tagoe and his wife, Betty, came to America and worked to exchange poverty for a future for their two sons.

Their mother worked as a licensed practical nurse at St. Patrick's Manor in Framingham. Their father, as an accountant at the former Bay Bank.

Finally in 1993, after ten years of working, the two boys came to America. They lived in Natick.

Now 15 years later, last Monday, William died. He was 29. Because of an enlarged heart, they believe William died of a heart attack, said his brother, Edwin Bruce-Tagoe of Natick. His autopsy is incomplete.

"I really missed them," said their mother, who moved to Marlborough in 2000. "I did everything I could for them to come here. I enjoyed my son and now's he's gone. You can't imagine. I really wish you could have met him. He was a wonderful boy. I call him my boy. I know he's a grown man. He's a very good son to have."

The parents didn't want their sons, natives of Ghana, to grow up in poverty, with limited educational and job opportunities.

"My family wanted a better future for us," said his brother. "My mother wanted a better education, that was the biggest thing. She wanted us to have the opportunity to do whatever we wanted. Going to school in Ghana and learning as much as we could, didn't provide all the opportunities that America does."

A member of the 1997 Natick High School class, the scholar athlete was a soccer midfielder, earning an award and helping secure a trip for his team to the division championship, Edwin Bruce-Tagoe said.

William sought opportunity. Majoring in accounting, he graduated from Bentley College in 2001.

"He liked numbers, our father was also an accountant and it came easy to him," his brother said.

While pursuing a degree in accounting at Bentley, William attended the Institute of International Studies in Madrid, Spain, and served internships at both KPMG and Liberty Mutual. After graduation, he worked for several major companies, passed the CPA exam and worked for several major companies.

Reserved and intelligent, William loved learning. Inquisitive by nature, he taught himself Latin and how to play the guitar.

But William's best asset, said Edwin, was looking out for his younger brother.

"I remember when we were in school in Ghana and I was crying over something," he said. "He found out and came and made things better. In school in America, he would help me if I had a question about something. He was the typical protective big brother."

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 15, at 10 a.m., at First Assembly of God Church, 30 Tyler-Prentice Road, Worcester. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Marlborough.

Visiting hours are tomorrow, from 6 to 9 p.m., at Fitzgerald & Collins Funeral Home, 378 Lincoln St., Marlborough.

Instead of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.