Bruce Lintroy Wilson

Bruce L. Wilson passed from this life and entered into eternity to be with his Heavenly Father at 8:11 am on August 5th, 2020 in Ocala, Florida. He was Seventy-three years old. Bruce lived in constant motion, rising early every day to work hard and spread joy. Bruce loved telling stories and that is probably what people will best remember him by. He often said "it's another day in paradise" and he remained forever young at heart, earning his wisdom and growing into a family man. Bruce was born in Wilmington, Delaware on November 2nd, 1946. As a middle child in a big family, he sought to stand out. He did so with his movie-star good looks, his brilliant blue eyes and his dazzling smile. His charisma earned him many friends and his childhood mischief plenty of band-aids. He used his fighter's spirit to win the 1963 State Wrestling Championship for William Penn High School. Bruce enlisted and served his country proudly as an NCO in the 101st Airborne, with combat duty in Vietnam. As a result of his heroic actions in a combat zone, he was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. His experiences in the military and subsequent long recovery in Japan and Hawaii began Bruce's transition in life from a fighter to a man of peace. He would no longer jump out of airplanes but learn to fly them, to better view the world he loved so much. He traded weapons for tools and used them to build entire communities. This passion would become his life's work, building homes in the hot Florida sun for over forty-five years. Later in life, Bruce excelled as an insurances adjuster for FEMA, using his lifetime of knowledge to help vulnerable people rebuild their lives. Bruce was a hard worker and always provided for his family. In November of 1974, Bruce was invited to dinner at the home of Pastor Wyns and his large family. Here he met the love of his life, Faith. They had their first date on Christmas Eve and Bruce proposed the following Christmas with a diamond ring and a cedar hope chest that he had built for her. Bruce and Faith were married on April 15th, 1977 in a candlelit ceremony ordained by Faith's father and surrounded by family. This past April, Bruce and Faith celebrated forty-three years of marriage. Bruce and Faith spent many of those years enjoying time spent sitting on their front porch, watching their beloved children come home. Bruce loved to tend the fireplace to keep his family warm, making them laugh with stories of "ticky bugs" and "The Claw". He delighted in waking his children and their friends early by playing the trumpet loudly during every sleepover. His grandchildren loved his customary bedtime "Bucky The Dinosaur" stories. Bruce calmed his children and then his grandchildren when they cried with back rubs. His loved when his wife did the same for him. Bruce was so full of life. He loved to travel, camp, ride his motorcycle, drive his truck, read Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler novels, play golf with his daughter and play darts with his sons but most importantly, Bruce loved dancing with his wife to the song Unchained Melody. He loved having meals with family and friends and whenever asked if he needed anything else by a waitress, Bruce always replied "bring me a pillow". Bruce also served on the church security team, aka the "elite, special forces" team whose job it was to prevent any insurrections. He was always ready to flash any one of the government issued IDs that he carried with him at all times while sporting his favorite Pentagon jacket that was given to him by his little sister. He made us smile and we loved him. Bruce loved to dream and talk about the next trips we could share together. He loved his siblings and spoke with them often. Bruce loved all of his family deeply. His wife, his children and his grandchildren all knew it. Bruce also loved Jesus and desired to grow in the Lord. He didn't want his time here with us to end so abruptly. There were so many plans and dreams left unfulfilled and his loss leaves us heartbroken. We have no doubt that he is now with Jesus and we cannot wait to be reunited with him again one day. Bruce is survived by his loving wife, Faith, his daughter Sarah, his sons Joshua and Caleb, his son-in-law Scott, his daughter-in-law Anna, his grandchildren Chloe, Michael, Lillian, Magdalene, Ezekiel and Hadassah, his siblings Elizabeth, Philip, Billy, Liz and their families as well as a multitude of nieces and nephews, cousin and in-laws. Bruce also left behind countless friends. Everyone who knew him will remember him fondly. Bruce left a legacy of love for us all. A memorial service with full military honors will be scheduled and announced at a future date.

Bruce Lintroy Wilson

November 2, 1946 - August 5, 2020