Bruce Larry Ossman

Bruce Larry Ossman, 88, of West Chester, PA, passed away Saturday, December 6, 2025.

Bruce was born June 25, 1937 in Valley View, PA. His Hegins High School yearbook described him as “very quiet, can explain Einstein’s theories, bow and arrow expert, likes to play softball, enjoys trapping”, the latter taught to him by his father. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in 1959.

Bruce served in the United States Army as a radio engineer, stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Inspired by but unafraid of the movie Easy Rider, he and friends toured Europe by motorcycle in 1970.

Bruce taught science at Chichester Area School District, where he met history teacher Martina C. Cochlin. Her classroom was directly below his, so he could flirt by tapping on the floor, and they married in 1971.

Bruce was a man of many pursuits, including canoeing, fishing, calligraphy, aquariums, writing poetry, and painting. He was always building something, including violins, furniture, contraptions to demonstrate physics to his students, a satellite dish, birdhouses for his favorite bird the Purple Martin, gliders, a koi pond, and toy muskets sold at the Brandywine Battlefield gift shop.

He wrote and illustrated the book Violin Making: A Guide for the Amateur, published in 1999, with an expanded second edition in 2009. It remains Amazon’s best-selling book on the topic.

He was predeceased by his father Clifford Lewis Ossman, mother Bernice Jean Schwalm Wilt, brother Robert Lee Ossman, and wife Martina. He is survived and missed by his son Chad and daughter-in-law Andrea Mihalko.

Relatives and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life luncheon on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 12-4pm in the main dining room at Radley Run Country Club 1100 Country Club Road West Chester, PA 19482 https://radleyruncountryclub.com

Interment at St. Malachi Cemetery, in Cochranville, PA will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. of West Chester, PA 610-696-1181; www.DellaFH.com