Ronny Barrett Bruce

Ronny Barrett Bruce, 67, of McDonough died Thursday February 14, 2013, in his home following an extended illness.

Mr. Bruce was born in Cleveland, Georgia on April 27, 1945, and he was the son of the late Robert Lee Bruce and Janie Missouri Barrett Bruce. Mr. Bruce was raised in Mountainview, Georgia where he attended Forest Park High School and graduated with the Class of 1964. Upon completion of high school, Mr. Bruce was drafted into the United States Army and began basic training at Ft Benning, Georgia in 1965, and after completion of basic he was sent to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri for Advanced Individual Training and trained as a Combat Engineer. After two different assignments in France and Germany, Mr. Bruce was assigned to the 577th Engineer Battalion "The Iron Soldiers" where he was shipped off to Vietnam for combat operations in 1967. Mr. Bruce was assigned to camps in Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, and performed various operations along the country's demilitarized zone. During Mr. Bruce's tour of duty, his unit suffered immense casualties due to the heightened intensity of the conflict at that time. Shortly after Mr. Bruce's Honorable Discharge from military service, he met the love of his life, Carol Ann Coyer Bruce, and they were married on January 12, 1971, and were married for over 32 years until Carol's passing on August 29, 2003. Ronny and Carol Bruce bore two children, Shelly Ann Bruce Tarnoff and Ronald Lee Bruce, and Mr. Bruce worked as a butcher in the meat packing industry where he retired from Swift Incorporated. Ronny Bruce was a kind and gentle soul that was loved and adored by all who knew him, and he could fill a room full of laughter with the crack of a joke and a genuine smile. He will be sorely missed by all of his family and friends; however, he is moving on to be at peace with his Heavenly Father.

Mr. Bruce was preceded in death by his wife, Carol Bruce; sister, Barbara Hitchcock; brother, Kenny Bruce; brother, Larry Bruce; and sister, Doris Brand.

Mr. Bruce is survived by his daughter, Shelly Tarnoff; son, Ronald Bruce; brother, Tommy Bruce; brother, Bobby Bruce; sister, Elizabeth George; and brother, James "Hook" Bruce.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday February 23, 2013, from the chapel of the Barrett Funeral Home, and entombment will follow in the Yonah View Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Fisher House in memory of Ronny Barrett Bruce.

A memorial fund has been set up in his name, and donations can be made online at fisherhouse.org, by phone at 888-294-8560, or by mail to Fisher House Foundation, Inc. 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420 Rockville, Maryland 20850-5168.

Online condolences can be made to the family at barrettfh.com.

Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland.