Gene Bruce Obit

Rev. Gene W. Bruce, 77, of Salisbury passed away Monday, April 6, 2020 at his residence.

Born in Rowan County on November 8, 1942, he was the son of the late Lillian Jacobs Bruce and Armond Glenn Bruce.

Rev. Bruce was a 1960 graduate of East Rowan High School. He graduated with an A.B. in Sociology from Lenoir-Rhyne College in 1965, and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1969. He was ordained on June 1, 1969 by the North Carolina Synod. Rev. Bruce served at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Crouse, NC from 1969-1974; Grace Lutheran Church in Newton, NC from 1974-1992; St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC from 1992-2002; Mt. Hermon Lutheran Church and Sharon Lutheran Church in Statesville from 2002-2009; Interim Pastor at Amity Lutheran Church in Cleveland from 2009-Present. He served as Chaplain at Trinity Oaks in Salisbury and recognized in 2019 for 50 years of ordained ministry with the ELCA.

Rev. Bruce served as Protestant Chaplain at Philmont Boy Scout Ranch for the summers of 1978-1979; Protestant Chaplain for four National Boy Scout Jamborees, 1977, 1981, 1985, 1989; Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Board of North Carolina Synod; Lamb Award and the Silver Beaver Award by Boy Scouts of America, 1988, 1989. He received the Lenoir-Rhyne Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1989 and the Catawba County Distinguished Public Service Award in 1992. Rev. Bruce served as President of the Eastern Catawba County Cooperative Christian Ministry; President, Catawba County Heart Association; President, Catawba County Council on Aging; President, Aging Advisory Council, Unifour Council of Governments; President, Adult Life Programs, Catawba County. He was a member of the Catawba Memorial Hospital Chaplaincy Committee and the Catawba County Nursing and Domiciliary Home Community Advisory Committee. He also served on the Reunion Committee for East Rowan High School.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Ann Moore Bruce; brothers, Robert Bruce, Rev. Jimmy Bruce, and Donald Bruce; brother-in-law, Arnold Young.

Those left to cherish his memory are his sons, David Bruce of Conover, Daniel Bruce (Erin) of Norwalk, CT; daughter, Elizabeth Bruce (Brian Patton) of Hickory; brothers, Johnny Bruce (Ann) of Salisbury, Darvin Bruce (Lillian) of Greensboro; companion, Jacqulaine Stutts of Catawba, NC; sister-in-laws, Betty Young of Newport News, VA, Sue Bruce of Salisbury.

A private graveside service will be held at Faith Lutheran Church Cemetery with the Rev. Kay Overcash and the Rev. Dr. Timothy Smith, Bishop of the ELCA, officiating. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Memorials may be made to the Faith Lutheran Church Improvement Fund, Faith, NC; or Amity Lutheran Church, Cleveland, NC.