Bruce M. Hauben

Bruce M. Hauben of Littleton, MA, passed peacefully at his home on March 16, 2026, while surrounded by his loving family.

Born on January 26, 1942, he was raised in South Orange, NJ, graduating from Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ. He continued to graduate from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. After pursuing a life in the corporate world, including working for Johnson & Johnson, he embarked on a lifelong pursuit of a life lived on his own path. Bruce married Carolyn DeCenso in 1964 and welcomed three sons.

Bruce was a man of action, a builder of businesses, and a true adventurer who chased his final horizon just this January, having recently returned from a voyage around Tierra del Fuego.

Bruce was an entrepreneur before the world had a name for it. Driven by a fierce independence, he founded a casual retail clothing store and grew it into a three-store success. He did not just build businesses; he built a philosophy of self-reliance that he took considerable pride in passing down to his three sons. To Bruce, being your own boss was not just a career path, it was the only way he knew how to live.

Among Bruce’s many other interests, he was known for racing Porsches, instructing up‑and‑coming drivers at tracks around the country, and for his deep, "old school" love for the land. In his suburban home he was a dedicated gardener and a modern-day homesteader, raising chickens, rabbits, and other animals. Family events were not complete without a dozen of his fresh eggs, and his garden was a testament to his patience and care.

Bruce was also a fantastic cook and a legendary baker; skills he took care to instill in his sons. Family Thanksgivings were defined by an almost absurd number of cakes and pies, with his famous Carrot Cake and Cheesecake always taking center stage. He taught us that a well-made meal was the ultimate gift to the people you love.

For more than 40 years, Bruce’s "partner in crime" and devoted wife, Joyce Brinton, has been the steady hand by his side. Joyce has truly been the glue that held these many varied interests together, never more so than during Bruce’s final days, where her strength and love provided him with the peace he deserved.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Joyce; his three sons and daughters-in-law: Jason and Karen (Aboud) Hauben (Darien, CT), Michael and Susan (Devey) Hauben (Ormond Beach, FL), and Craig Hauben and Maria Elena Alvarado (Miami, FL); and his eight grandchildren: Madeleine, William, Lauren, Griffin, Carson, Wyatt, Ethan, and Piper. He also leaves behind a legacy of independence, generosity, and the memory of a man who always knew exactly where the "perfect line" was on the track of life.

Bruce was predeceased by his parents and his beloved sister Barbara. 

A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Donations in his memory may be made to:
Angel Flight
492 Sutton Street
N. Andover, MA 01845
978794-6868
www.angelflightne.org

Arrangements under the care of Badger Funeral Home, 347 King Street, Littleton, MA 01460 978-486-3709 www.badgerfuneral.com