Donald G Bruce
October 11, 1939 - September 28, 2018
Donald G. Bruce, 78, of Greenbrier, AR went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, September 23, 2018.
He is survived by his wife, Wanda; daughters, Lisa Page and husband Rusty and Lana Stone and husband Kenny; grandsons, Brady Mercer and wife Rachael and Seth Stone; and two great-grandchildren, Cash and Phoenix Mercer.
A private ceremony will be scheduled later.
From Roller McNutt Funeral Home, Greenbrier, AR
Published in The Log Cabin Democrat on Sept. 28, 2018
From John Ferrell:
"Another surveyor has passed on. Don was a surveyor who helped pioneer the route of TAPS, surveyed during Construction Phase, and supervised crews for Maintenance and ROW surveys from 1976/1977 thru to early 2000’s. He was the Dean of all the very good surveyors we had working for Alyeska."
Bill Howitt
Wow, Josh and I were just talking about Don earlier today before reading this announcement. Strange.
Yes, Don was a big part of successful TAPS construction and ongoing operations. It always amazed me how good the survey data base was and how much critical information could be pulled up. Thank you Don...and all the surveyors.
Howard Echo-Hawk
I met Don in the fall of 1970 at Happy Valley. He came up with the Michael Baker Jr staff from Arkansas. He was a tall, lean, khaki pants and shirt, hard-working, family man and extremely knowledgeable with a very close cropped haircut. I believe he led the control survey crews who flew mountain top to mountain top using a Wild T2 & Electrotape EDM. He was on a crew in the spring of 1970 that one of the crew members was bit by a fox. They all had to get the shots in the stomach for the potential virus. He walked & snow shoed the entire PL. He was always helpful and the ultimate source of PL Surveying knowledge & surveying at large. He always had time to shake your hand and look you in the eye and see how you were doing.
He was one of a kind. And will be sorely missed. Much condolances & comfort to his family.
PS I think after one season with the Alaska Surveyors he started letting his hair grow out.
Dave Norton
He was the Dean, indeed. RIP Don.
Elden Johnson
There are four figures on the statue in Valdez commemorating the builders of TAPS. One figure, the Surveyor, is crafted after Don Bruce. Always there when needed, making sure the pipeline measured up. It couldn't have been done, but for Don and those like him.
Bill Howitt
I didn't know that Elden. Thanks for the info. How fitting.
Dick Trudell
Don was not only a wonderful longtime friend but one of the most competent surveyors I had the good fortune to know and work with during my years on the pipeline.
We worked closely together at PS12 and communicated regularly through the years as he moved up and down the line and lately while working on the slope laying out ice roads for the new fields being developed.
His good humor and expertise made working with him a joy and his dedication through the years of commuting from AR is certainly a testiment to his dedication to his field.
From starting with the APSC project in the early 70's laying out the alignment to his many years with APSC operations and maintenance then to the development of the future fields to the west he dedicated most of his life to the Alaska petroleum energy industry, a benefit to all involved.
He will be missed by all who worked with or around him.
Frank Heffernan
My first job on the pipeline was flying Don and crew cutting in the road survey from the Yukon river to fish creek. I landed at Hess creek camp on 15 feb 1970 working for Earl Ketterman. A cat cut a line ahead of the crew through the trees and snow. He was a great guy and a great crew to support.As years passed and I would run into him on the line we would often remember those wonderful days. R. I. P. to a good man lost too soon.