Campus News
In Memoriam: Maxine Lane (1926-2026)
UC Santa Cruz retiree Maxine Lane died on April 17, 2026 at 99 years old. Maxine worked at the campus for 22 years and was a staunch supporter and advocate for UC Santa Cruz veteran students.
Maxine Lane was a UC Santa Cruz retiree and longtime supporter of the university.
Maxine Lane was a UC Santa Cruz retiree and longtime supporter of the university. Maxine died on April 17, 2026 at 99 years old. She would have celebrated her 100th birthday in July.
Maxine worked at UC Santa Cruz for 22 years and retired as the Director of Contracts and Grants in 1991. Her son says that she loved her work and was reluctant to retire. Maxine was an active member of the UCSC Retiree’s Association and was a staunch supporter and advocate for UC Santa Cruz veteran students.
Maxine was married to Bruce Lane, who worked at UC Santa Cruz for 27 years as a project architect, educational facilities planner, and director of capital planning. Bruce (who passed in 2008) was a volunteer for immediate induction in World War II, and left to serve the U.S. in Europe just two weeks after graduating from high school. Bruce worked as a noncommissioned officer and later received the GI Bill, before then working as a commissioned engineer officer for the Army Reserves for 35 years.
Maxine continued his legacy by founding his namesake scholarship, The Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship, to share in his passion to support UCSC’s military veteran students. Maxine stayed actively involved with the scholarship and regularly helped fundraise for it—including selling some of the many succulents she grew.
Her son said that even in her later 90’s, Maxine was devoted to scholarship fund raising efforts. She was always working toward her annual selling event where she sold the succulents she had propagated during the previous 12 months. Her son would frequently get calls from her, warning that she was going out to the garage to work on her succulents (all part of monitoring where she was, as she lived alone).
By establishing the Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship, Maxine supported over 100 UC Santa Cruz veteran students and her legacy and endowment in her husband’s name will continue to support countless more. The following comments highlight the impact of the scholarship on veteran recipients:
People do want to help us with our passions and pursue our degrees—it’s such a nice feeling knowing that there are people willing to support us.”
– Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship recipient Devin Burkland (Stevenson ’24, history)
[The scholarship] gave me the opportunity to focus on my academic goals without added financial stress.”
– Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship recipient Sammy Tesfai (Oakes ’23, computer engineering) (M.A. ’24, computer engineering)
The [Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship] allowed me to handle a large and necessary expense without having to cut back on essentials, which has been invaluable for my peace of mind.”
– Bruce Lane Memorial Scholarship recipient Nick Kuipers (Cowell ’24 electrical engineering) (M.A. ’26, electrical engineering)
Her son says that Maxine was looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday with family and friends. She is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.