Memorial
Age 88, of Cedar Rapids, died February 23 at Meth-Wick Community after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born to George and Esther (Cramer) Alexander in Dow City, Iowa, in the depths of the Great Depression on January 23, 1934. At age six, Bruce moved with his parents to Waterloo, Iowa, where he attended West Waterloo schools and excelled in academic studies and athletics, especially football and baseball. He received scholarships to Iowa State University for football and the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.
At Iowa State, Bruce found his passion in the study of architectural engineering, playing football, and membership in Phi Delta Theta fraternity. His other passion soon became Shirley Stanek, from Calendar, Iowa, who he met at Iowa State while she was pursuing a degree in home economics. After graduation, they were married and moved to Norfolk, Virginia, to fulfill his Navy service commitment of three years, allowing them to travel the East Coast.
Bruce and Shirley had two sons, Mark and Scot. They meant a great deal to him, which he demonstrated through his involvement in their sports and other activities. As a father, Bruce used his ingenuity and talents to instruct them in meeting life’s many challenges – and to have fun. Dinosaur identification, Pinewood Derby races, model rocket flights, and playing catch were part of his repertoire as a great dad.
In Cedar Rapids, he joined the architectural firm of Kohlmann-Eckman-Hukill as an architectural draftsman, later becoming a partner in the firm. Bruce’s reputation for integrity and responsibility among his clients eventually led to his employment by one of them. As Aegon’s Chief Architect, he traveled the country supporting architecture assessments and construction projects for the company until his retirement.
Bruce exhibited a life-long devotion to fishing and during memorable outdoor adventures educated his sons in its finer points, such as bait strategies using pungent clams and pampered nightcrawlers. Upon retirement, Bruce purchased a fishing boat on which he and Shirley shared wonderful trips in and outside Iowa. His other interests in gardening, woodworking, and furniture building were on prominent display at the homes where they lived on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids.
Bruce and Shirley eventually moved to Meth-Wick Community, where he participated in the Deer Ridge gardening and woodshop committees. He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, his two sons, and their families: Mark with his wife Vera and their children Isabel and David in Boston; and Scot with his wife Amy in Minneapolis and their children, Jack with wife Laura in San Francisco, Rachel in San Francisco, Ben in Denver, and Sarah in Des Moines.
Bruce was a modest man yet proud of his accomplishments and service to his country, achieved through strength of principle and discipline. He leaves an inspiring legacy for his family and friends, the architectural profession, and Meth-Wick Community. Inurnment and a celebration of Bruce’s life will be held at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home on Saturday, May 28, at 1 PM.
A livestream of the memorial service may be accessed on the funeral home website under the obituary for Bruce Alexander, under the video tab starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 28.