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Passed peacefully August 27, 2017 at Lakeridge Health Oshawa, after a short struggle with liver cancer. John Bruce (1935-2017) was born in the Leaside area of Toronto to John (1908-1981) and Irene (1904-1949), and grew up with brother Paul and beloved stepmom Dorothy (1927-2009) in Etobicoke where he attended Richview High School, graduating after a couple rounds of Grade 13. It was during the second round he was asked to the Sadie Hawkins dance by Jill Child, a date that ended in marriage, home and family. A new house in Weston, a cottage on Go Home Lake and a career at IBM followed. The family moved to Mississauga and then Scarborough, but for three years in the late 1970s, Bruce’s job took them to England. When Bruce retired at 55, he and Jill moved to Lagoon City on Lake Simcoe for leisurely years of golfing, woodworking, breadmaking, boating, cottaging, community involvement and enjoying a growing family. Bruce’s columns covering local politics for the Orillia Packet and Times, led to a run for Ramara council; his loss by less than 10 votes spurred a necessary change in ballot recount rules. In recent years health concerns moved them to Brooklin, and then Pickering. Bruce was predeceased by his wife Jill (1937-2015); his brothers Paul Galway, M.D. (1933-2005) and Richard "Ricky" (1951-1954); and his grandsons Jeff Dunlop (1993-2016) and Greer Bates (1990-2016).
He will be remembered by his daughter Michele Dunlop with husband Brian; his son David; granddaughters Amy Dunlop (sister to Jeff) and Dale Galway (sister to Greer); sister-in-law Lorna Galway, niece Carol Ann and nephew John; brother Ross with wife Bernadette and her son Nicholas; brother Robert “Bob” with wife Beverly “Bev” and family Devin, Shannon, Siobhan and Liam; sister Barbara ”Barb” with husband Cameron “Cam”  Skipper and family Conor and Carson; brother Randall “Randy” with wife Jacquelyn “Jackie”. Michele and David would like to thank the team at Central East CCAC Palliative Care for their wonderful level of care. A Celebration of Life for Bruce and Jill will be held at Go Home Lake at a future date.

Arrangements entrusted to the GILCHRIST CHAPEL – McIntyre & Wilkie Funeral Home, One Delhi Street, Guelph, (519-824-0031). If desired, donations to the Alzheimer Society or to the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated.



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