Bruce Damon McGuire passed away at his residence in Dade City, Florida on January 1, 2008. Bruce was born on July 22, 1957 at Tampa General Hospital and was raised in Town and Country. He graduated from Leto High School in 1976 and joined the US Army. He served three years as a 13B10 Cannon Crewman, while stationed in Kreuznack, Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1979 and made several attempts after 2001 to rejoin. Bruce was a staunch supporter of the United States military with strong political beliefs. During his time in the Army, he was awarded the Army Marksmanship Bronze, toured most of Europe, and visited the Vatican and the Coliseum.
Bruce was a graduate of Hillsborough Community College with a degree in Electronics. He spent over 20 years in the Automotive Paint Industry throughout Florida. In 2001, he joined the United States Postal Service, Dade City office. He loved and was loved by friends who still work for Perez Auto Body, NAPA Auto Stores, and the Dade City USPS.
Bruce was an avid fisherman, sportsman, and collector of rare historical pieces. He had a life-long love of archeology, anthropology, politics, and religion. He loved and raised intelligent, obedient, and loving pit bulls. He never missed an opportunity to defend the rights of the citizen or the animal.
In 1995, Bruce and Jo McGuire were re-introduced. In 1998 they were married and have been inseparable since. His wife, family, and friends were his sole focus in life. He would drop everything and do anything for the well being of another. Bruce was the father and friend of Rebecca Widmer and Richard J. Widmer III. Bruce is survived by his father, Rex B. McGuire, his mother, Deanna J. Mollohan, and stepmother Pat McGuire. His stepfather Gary R. Hoover passed away in 2007. He is survived by his siblings, Lynda and Tommy Leone, Terry McGuire, Linda and Kyle McCarthy, Susie and Carroll Davis, and David and Kathy Whitehouse.
There will be a service held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 6, 2008 at his residence in Dade City, Florida. The service will be a celebration of Bruce D. McGuire?s life and the peace he found in death. Life-long and new friends, family members, and the local Honor Guard will be present. If you wish to pay your respects, please write to P.O. Box 466, Dade City, Florida, 33526. Should friends desire, donations may be made to the National Rifle Association, c/o NRA Processing Center, P.O. Box 420648, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0648 in Bruce’s memory.
Arrangements entrusted to Veterans Funeral Care, 15381 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, Florida 33760
Dear Jo,
I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers and am comforted in knowing that you’re surrounded with loving people that will keep you in their hearts as well. Special thanks to Rebecca for her assistance and compassion.
With regards,
Allen Hawthorne
Veterans Funeral Care
Dear Jo and Family,
We are so saddened at the news of Bruce’s passing. He was a great friend and co-worker for years and just an all around great guy. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers at this time and please do not hesitate if you need anything.
Love,
Cyndy, Lee and Family
TO A GOOD FRIEND WHO ALWAYS HAD GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT PEOPLE, AND ALWAYS VERY HELPFUL. YOU WILL BE MISSED.
Jo, you are in our thoughts and prayers, Know that Bruce was a very good friend and co worker for many years in the automotive paint business. From all his friends at Auto Body Express ,,Tampa store.
You were greatly loved and will be greatly missed. We love you.
Sorry to hear of Bruce’s death. May God be with you during this time of bereavement.
Wow what can i say, Bruce was a great compassionate man, I met him 20 yrs ago when I started @ Sherwin Williams Automotive, he was my manager for a while. He actually came to visit us in 2001 or 2002, and told me about starting with the postal service, his marriage, and the children. He seemed very happy. He was always a happy, go-lucky individual. I sure miss him, and it’s not easy knowing you’ll not be able to speak to someone again. My condolences to you and your family
Dear Jo
We are so sorry about your loss.You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Love
Silvia Heyward and family
Dear Jo
We are so sorry about your loss.You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Love
Silvia Heyward and family
I am sorry to hear of Bruce’s passing. I knew him for a number of years while working in the paint and sandpaper industry.
Bruce had class, integrity, honesty and was lacking the hypocracy ego personality disorders found in so many of the others.
He loved our country and was a credit to himself and the United States Army.
He will be missed.
You will be missed until we see you again.
Your friends always
With regrets of writing this you will be sadly missed. Thank you for the time that you spent with Sasha and Nathaniel showing them how to shoot the guns safely on Sasha’s birthday. You will never know how much that meant to her and how much she took away with her. You were a great neighbor even when our dog ate your chickens. You were also well loved by all of our dogs as well as us. Thank you for the blessing of knowing such a great man, friend, and neighbor. Our prayers go out to your family in this time of sorrow.
Duane, Tina-Marie and Sasha
I really enjoyed working with you at the post office. I admired you for your honesty, integrity, work ethic and great sense of humor. You were a gentleman and a patriot and you will be greatly missed by all who knew you.
Dear Bruce,
You called on New’s Year’s day at 10:42a.m. Just to say,”Hi, kid just called to wish you a Happy New Year. And, tell Jerry I said, hi. See ya.” I can’t help but think. What if I could’ve been here to talk with you one more time or see ya one more time? I don’t know whether I would ball up my fist and hit you as hard as I could or hug you! You and I both knew what physical pain could do to you. People who have never experienced true pain cannot understand. If you could have only held on till your appointment with your pain management doctor. You made me a richer person just by getting to know you. You were hard working, easy to get to know, and generous. You would give a stranger the shirt off your back, if you thought they needed it. Through my faith I know you are standing in the backyard, by the pond of your mansion, high on the hill, waiting to see Jo and the kids, again.
Jo,
You were the light off his life. He loved you and those kid with all his heart. You knew what kind of man you had! And, you greatly appreciated him. My Mom had the pleasure of meeting you two at the Christmas parade. You guys were so happy and so much in love. She was sorry to hear of your lose. If you need anything call me.
Our love and prayers,
Debbieformer Postal co-worker, Jerry, Kayla, Jacob and Nicole Barthle, Mildred Jacobs
Jo,
I am so sorry that you and your family are experiencing such a tragedy. Thank you for being so kind to me and thank your for the hospitality after my horrible experience. I hope others really help you in your time of need as they did me. If you need anything, give us a holler! I’m still counting on you for that meat grinder! ; You are in my thoughts and prayers. Time will heal all wounds–Have faith!
Love,
Karena
I’m sorry to hear of Bruce’s passing and equally sorry for having lost touch with him over the past 10 or so years. I knew Bruce when I was just a kid before and after he was in the Army. He was friends with my older sister Vicki Glover and several of her friends.
Bruce was sometimes like an older brother to me who never seemed to tire of the endless rapid fire questions of a skinny little kid. After Bruce returned from the Army, he took me arrow head hunting a few times. He was always excited every time he went hunting for artifacts and had a trained eye for spotting manmade sculpting versus just a broken worn rock. He was also always frustrated with my luck. He would search and dig over endless hours as only a dedicated enthusiast could, and me, a true novice at best looked at the ground while warming up for cross country race one day and picked up a very valuable small spearhead, that if only a couple of years younger, I would probably have tied to a stick homemade arrow and tried to shoot it into a tree. I’m not sure he ever got over that. I loaned him that spearhead for years and I had literally no contact with him during much of that time, but never one day was I concerned about losing it. I knew Bruce had it and it was safe. When I returned to Tampa after 9 years away in the Air Force, I asked my sister if she’d heard from Bruce, she said she had recently and upon my inquiry, he immediately returned my spearhead which he had placed in a wooden display box he made and thanked me for being able to show it all those years.
I haven’t seen Bruce in years but have thought of him often. America has lost a true patriot son.
Lt Col Al Glover
When I read all the things that Bruce liked it became apparent how much alike we were.Most of all though, I admired the fact that he believed in being an individual.He was indeed an individual and has my deepest respect now and forever.Mike
TO: the Entire Family
I am so sorry for your loss.Bruce will never be forgotten in our hearts.He will be truly missed in our lives.
May God comfort you in this sad time and May God bring you peace.I love ya’s.Love,Shari
Jo and family,
You are very much in our hearts, thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Know that your “cosmetology” family loves you and are here with many hugs for you. You better call if you need ANY THING or I might have to take you to Red Lobster and a Hair Show. Keep your Faith!
With much love and prayers
Judy, Derek, Jana, Jonathan, Marcus, Kiersten and the twinkies…Jayden and Brehnan
Jo and family,
Many thoughts and prayers go to all of you. Just know that your “cosmetology” family loves you and here for many hugs. Our hearts grieve for you. Please let us know if we can do ANY THING for you.
I will always remember Bruce for his laughter and smile. He always cheered me up when I had a bad day. He encouraged everyone and was there when we needed him. I thank God I had the opportunity to know him. I will truly miss him!
I’m so so sorry to hear of Burce’s untimely death. I really loved him, thought he was a GREAT person. My deepest condolences to you all.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you!!
Love
Karen, Pete and Dana
Jo; My deepest condolences to you and your family. Been a long time sense moodys.
WALT
DEAR MRS JO
IM SORRY THAT MR BRUCE HAS DIED
BLESS YOUR HEART HE WAS MY BEST
FRIEND! I WILL MISS HIM VERY MUCH
IM THINKING ABOUT YOU!
YOUR THE BEST
YOUR FRIEND,
MIKAELA GASKIN
Jo,
I am so sorry for the loss to you and the family. I have not spoken to Bruce in about 10 years, I am sorry to say, but that was the way our freindship worked. We went years without speaking but when we met again in 2 minutes it was like there was never a space in the time. I met bruce through Debbie Arthur Altman. I was Vicki Glover back then but Bruce became a part of our family. My parents and younger brother, as well as myself all felt blessed to have been a small part of Bruce’s life. Jo, I am sorry we have not had a chance to meet.
I hope all of our thoughts and prayers will bring you some comfort in the days ahead.
Vicki DuBois
Im so sorry to here about the loss of Bruce and by reading this notice Im also sorry to here about Gary passing away.My memories of Bruce and Gary are all good ones.All my prayers to the family.My sincere condolences ,Tony Goins.Fern st family friend
A Tribute to Bruce…
Missing “The Bruce-Miester”. Six months gone. How is that possible? How have any of us made it through the last six months without you here? Your sense of humor, honor, kindness, caring, no bullshit attitude. Where have you gone? Why are you gone? Couldn’t any of us have saved you? Couldn’t you have saved yourself?
We ALL miss your laughter, the wisdom you contained, the joy you spread. Did we spread you too thin? Did we do this to you? Was it all of our pulling and dragging so much from you? Is this our fault? Is it my fault? The unanswered questions drive us mad. Will the answers ever come? Will there ever be another like you?
The World is a much sadden place without you here. Nothing is the same. Nothing as bright and shiny. Not nearly enough laughter. You are sorely missed. Not a day goes by without you entering the conversations, the jokes, the tears. Never will, you left so many memories behind, so many Brucieism’s. So much wisdom and thought patterns. Do you realize how many lives you touched? How many people you affected? How surreal all this is, how much it changed all of us?
You were one of the most loved people in the entire world, everyone you met, however briefly, fleetingly was affected by you. Everyone has a “Bruce Story”. There are more memories of you out there than anyone I know of. You brought joy, wonder, amazement, pride and a yearning to all who had the honor of meeting you. The world is a much sadden, bleaker place without you.
Today, at the six month mark, I will say yet another prayer for you, a prayer asking for peace to you, the answers you always were seeking, the chance for you to catch that huge Red, the 10 point buck, find that 8″ yellow Newnan, that walk through Cades Cove, Cypress Beach, the final journey to the place you were always seeking. I pray that you are there, you are at peace, you have your answers. God Bless you Bruce D. McGuire, Boo, Brucie Bear, I Love You, will ALWAYS miss you, thank you for all you gave. I wish I could give a spec back to you that you gave to me. That you shared with all.
bruce and i were in the army together in bad krueznach for three years.we were room mates during that time.and all the the entries that i read were true of bruce.ill miss him very much.spes 4 greg jones us army sunnyvale calif.
i as well lived with bruce in bad kreuznach, germany for three fun filled years. as greg jones stated all the statements are true and we truly loved this man. he was a close dear friend during our deployment in germany. he will be be sorely missed and i was lucky to have known him all these years. my condolences to his family and god bless. sp4 jeff putnam us army 1976-1980.