Obituaries for Oct. 14, 2009

Marilyn Bruce

Marilyn J. Bruce, 82, of Lady Lake, Fla., a frequent visitor to Baker County who spent summers here, died Oct. 3, 2009, at her home.

Her memorial services will be Oct. 27 and Oct. 29 at Lady Lake and Marco Island, Fla. Her body was donated to science and the memorial services are being arranged by her family.

Marilyn Holmes Bruce was born in 1927. Her list of accomplishments is long, having started by working her way through college as a nurse cadet during World War II, and then delivering baby boomer babies and doing community nursing.

She contributed to ground-breaking cardiovascular research as one of the Framingham nurses, a group that was medically followed for 30 years contributing to key research regarding lifestyle choices and heart health. She willed her brain and heart to science so that they could be studied in conjunction with the older research.

After she retired, she spent a lot of her time volunteering with her church trying to use her nursing skills to help those who needed help the most, especially the people without local family. She received the Marco Island Kindness Award for her work with “elderly” people, even though she received it when she was in her 70s.

She was the mother of three children, an athlete who won numerous tennis trophies, an artist creating unique shell art, a choir member, a great bridge player and at one time spoke French fluently.

“Above all she was kind to everyone, proud and funny,” her family members said. “She loved everything and everyone.”

She suffered a stroke in April, but was able to rally, graduating first in her stroke rehab class and was identified as the stroke survivor most likely to succeed, with the greatest percent regain of function the stroke center had ever seen. Unfortunately, she could not beat the subsequent complications.

To honor her, her family asks that random acts of kindness be practiced toward seniors.

Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Henry P. Bruce; her three children, Leslie Gecy and her husband, Bob, of Baker City, Paul Bruce of Portland and Laurie Savioli of Naples, Fla.; several grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Bruce Leasy

Bruce Leasy, 71, of Pendleton, a former Baker City resident died Oct. 7, 2009, at his home surrounded by his family.

There will be a Celebration of Life service at 2 p.m. Saturday at Baker City Christian Church, 675 Highway 7.

Bruce was born at Baker on Nov. 22, 1937, to Gladys and Alvoy Leasy. He was the fourth of four children. Bruce was raised at Baker City where he attended school.

After school he enlisted in the Oregon National Guard in 1953 and then the U.S. Army in 1956.  He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1964. 

Bruce married Jody Valentine in Weiser, Idaho, on Dec. 15, 1978.

For the majority of his life after the service he worked for numerous logging companies, driving logging truck. Bruce was a very hard worker and took very good care of his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Howard Leasy; and a grandson, Cody Landers.

Survivors include his wife, Jody of 31 years, at home in Pendleton; his sisters, Leilah Bishop of Lebanon and Rae Colton of Pendleton; children, Alan and Lisa Leasy of Salt Lake City, Terri Leasy and Lisa Leasy of Salt Lake City, Troy and Kim Landers of Damascus,  Marcia Holm of Pendleton and Joe and Angie Baldwin of St. Helens; brother and sisters-in-law, Terry and Kathy Valentine of Union, Lynn and Pam Wiley of Pendleton and Mark and Cindy Meacham of Halfway; and mother-in-law, Mary Thompson of Pendleton; 16 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and special friends close to Bruce, Jim and Amy Haynie, Dick McRoberts, Don McGinn and Justin Hutton, Oscar Smith and Scott Burnette. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Children’s Hospital or St. Anthony Hospice through Burns Mortuary of Pendleton, P.O. Box 489, Pendleton, OR 97801.

Wayne Pierce

Wayne Everett Pierce, 67, of Tangent, a former longtime Baker City resident, died Oct. 9, 2009, at his home.

At his request, there will be no funeral.

Wayne was born at Hereford on Jan. 12, 1942, to David Pierce and Marge Boyer-Pierce. He attended Baker High School.

In his early adulthood he worked for and lived with his aunt and uncle on the Wellman Ranch. He also served in the Oregon National Guard.

He moved on to the Burnt River Lumber Co and then became a street foreman for the Baker City Public Works Department. In the 1970s he began his own contracting business.

He was on the Baker City Council that was responsible for building the new fire station. He was an active member and officer of the Baker Elks Lodge.

He helped build Sam-O Swim Center and reconstruct Highway 86 after the Hole in the Wall landslide. He also built and maintained many roads for the U.S. Forest Service and Ellingson Lumber Co.

During this time he was married to Shirley Steele-Pierce. The couple had three children. He passed on his values of hard work and the importance of paying attention to details to all of his children.

They spent weekends as a family on Brownlee Reservoir in the summer at a dock they co-owned with several friends and affectionately called each other “The River Rats.” He helped teach all three kids to water ski, a pastime they all love to this day. His favorite wintertime activity was riding snowmobiles.

In 1985, he moved to the Willamette Valley and began a long career as a union equipment operator. He worked for the larger companies of Kiewit, Emery and Sons and Sullivan Construction.

While living at Albany he met and was remarried to Sheryl Castoe. He loved country music and old Western movies and he enjoyed spending Sunday afternoons barbecuing for friends and family. He retired in 2006.

Survivors include his wife, Sheryl of Albany; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Clifton and Jackie Pierce of Big Lagoon, Calif., and Keith and Robin Pierce of Tillamook; stepchildren, Tammy Nelson and her husband, John, Troy Castoe, Todd Kilgore and Tadd Kilgore, all of Albany; his aunt, Effie Turner; daughter, Lisa Xeros-VandenBos and her husband, Todd; son, Wayne Pierce and Melissa Hertel, and son, Shane Pierce, and his wife,  Tammy, all of Baker City; 13 grandchildren; and nine nieces and nephews.

Condolences and remembrances may be sent to Sheryl Pierce at 31945 Rolland Drive, No. 12, Tangent, OR 97389.

Vernon Church

There will be a Celebration of Life Service at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Living Faith Fellowship Church, 4549 Homedale Road, in Klamath Falls.

Vernon was born at Roseburg on Feb 25, 1958, to Vernon and Virginia Church. He was a 1976 graduate of South Umpqua High School and went on to earn an associate’s degree from Umpqua Community College in Roseburg.

Vernon worked for the Water Resource Department of Oregon as a watermaster for more than 30 years. He enjoyed his grandchildren, woodworking, remodeling houses, fishing and volunteering on several committees. He will be missed by all his family and friends.

Survivors include his wife of  31 years, Bonnie; daughter, Heather, and her four children of Klamath Falls; son, Tyler, and his spouse, Angela, and their two children of Portland; his parents, Vernon and Virginia Church of The Dalles; brother, Terry Church, and his two children of The Dalles; brother, Ken Church and his spouse, Jen, and their two children of Hunlock Greek, Pa.; and numerous other family members and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Condon Dollars for Scholars, P.O.  Box 385, Condon, OR 97823; or the Vernon Church Grandchildren Memorial Fund through any Wells Fargo Bank branch. Vern was a strong advocate of higher education, his family said.