Willard Bruce Powell Jr.

The only child of Willard Bruce Powell Sr and Carolyn Powell (née Starfield), Willard Bruce Powell Jr-Bruce, as he was widely known-was born on the Upper East Side at the old Misericordia Hospital on November 20, 1929. Bruce spent his life serving those around him, fiercely devoted to his family.

After spending early childhood in Midtown Manhattan, he left for the University of Miami, where he graduated second in his class with a BSME in 1952.

Moving to Allis-Chalmers Mechanical Engineering's headquarters in Milwaukee, WI from 1952-1954, Bruce helped design and build centrifugal separators for Uranium on behalf of the US government. It was in Wisconsin that Bruce fell madly in love with Eloda Jane Selbo, a typesetter supervisor in the Government Services Administration. They married on June 19th, 1954.

Later that December, Bruce was commissioned as Ensign with the Naval Civil Engineering Corps and attended Officer Candidate School in Port Hueneme, CA. He then transitioned to the Navy Reserves where he-as he always jokingly editorialized-"defended the port of New Orleans from the North Koreans." He eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade before his honorable discharge in 1957.

After working briefly as a naval contractor at the shipyard, Bruce again entered public service with the United States Postal Service, eventually settling in Memphis, TN in 1971 and assuming the role of General Manager of Facilities Planning and Development, then retiring in 1991.

Amidst regular pilgrimages back to Retreat, WI, Bruce and Eloda built much of their life in Memphis where they were Sunday afternoon VIPs at Formosa, Pete and Sam's, Huey's, Corky's, Houston's, Gibson's Donuts, and Piccadilly Cafeteria. Devoted members of White Station Church of Christ, Bruce rarely missed Dr. Earl West's Sunday school class or Bud Davis complimentary donuts.

Moving from the Balmoral neighborhood to Kirby Pines in 2017, Bruce was a fixture at KP events, even making his dramatic debut as one of the "Wisemen" for the living nativity in 2023.

Perhaps auspiciously, Bruce's maternal grandfather, Julius Starfield, himself an eastern European Jewish refugee who sold cigars door-to-door, took 8-year-old Bruce to a meeting of Jewish intellectuals to meet that night's keynote speaker: Albert Einstein. This meeting, and its accompanying handshake, proved lasting in Bruce's memory. Powell and Einstein were linked by more than simply an ethnic heritage; they also shared an obsession with how things worked.

It may have come as no surprise then that Bruce committed practically all his life to pursuing the question-whether it was Calvary, cavitation, or catapults-"how should this work?"

From his collection of M1 carbines he assembled from parts he scavenged as a teen from his own father to lead toy soldier sets he cast himself for his grandsons, to swiftly diagramming on a Popeyes napkin the different chemical processes of TIG vs stick welding, to mastering the seven seas of Memphis in a sunfish boat he sailed all by himself, to his scrupulous programming of an automatic card shuffler, Bruce's enthusiastic curiosity remained relentless to the end of his days. He could assemble a clock, a genealogy, or an investment portfolio with seeming ease. But his ingenuity was perhaps most admirable when it came to how he built his family.

Despite his considerable skills in storytelling, Bruce seldom spoke in great detail to his family about his own parents or childhood, and the stories which did rarely emerge were neither entirely flattering nor complimentary. In Eloda, he found the sweet, intelligent, and devoted woman he loved, respected, and cherished. While she did not always prefer his jokes-"Oh Murder!" she would often exclaim-he committed to making her smile and laugh with a dogged persistence. They enjoyed over 66 years together, and yet still not long enough according to Bruce, who, anxious to personally see that Eloda was comfortably cared for throughout her life, openly wished to live "only one day longer" than her. He missed her every day as we miss him now.

While Bruce and Eloda may not have had families who proved to be the greatest example, they certainly set one. As parents to June and Billy, and grandparents to Eva, Brad, Will, Avery, Elliot, and Kayla, they were the greatest believers, the consummate cheerleaders in faith, academics, athletics, and arts. They valued anything and everything those they loved did-Brad's captivating sermons, Bill's shepherding, Kayla's vibrant stage performances, Avery's corporate ascendence, June's enthusiastic celebration of others, Eva's unparalleled compassion, Elliot's dry wit, and Will's love of books.

It is fitting and right that Bruce, who claimed to have led a "charmed life," should have spent much of his life's energy meticulously supporting the success of so many others. His charm will be missed.

Bruce Powell died Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the age of 96, knowing he was loved by so many here on earth and eager to reunite with so many loved ones he had been missing. As Charles Dickens (Bruce's favorite author) wrote at the conclusion of A Tale of Two Cities, "It is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

Bruce was preceded in death by his daughter, June Elizabeth Emerson (October 14, 2020) and his wife, Eloda Jane Selbo (March 14, 2021). He is survived by son, Bill Powell and wife Fran; granddaughter, Eva Marrone and husband Jarrod; grandson, Brad Eason and wife Kirsten; grandson, Will Powell and wife Ashley; granddaughter, Avery King and husband Johnny; grandson, Elliot; granddaughter, Kayla Stone and husband Zach; great granddaughters, Harlow, Emersyn, and Zeva.

May his rest and peace be complete and may his memory be a blessing.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to either the Kirby Pines Employee Fund (3535 Kirby Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38115), which helps the many hardworking employees who cared for Bruce and so many others in their moments of financial hardship or the Kirby Pines Foundation (3535 Kirby Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38115), which aids residents of Kirby Pines Retirement Community in need of financial assistance or the Harding Graduate School of Theology's Jack and Annie Mae Lewis Fund (915 E. Market Ave PO Box 12238, Searcy, AR 72149), which provides financial aid.

A memorial celebration of life will be held at Kirby Pines LifeCare Community at a date and time to be determined.

Vosseteig Funeral Home & Crematory is serving Bruce's family.

123 W. Decker St.

Viroqua, WI 54665

608-637-2100