Vernon Leslie Bruce – December 11th, 1954 – April 21st, 2024

Vernon “Vern” Leslie Bruce, 69, passed away suddenly in his home on April 21, 2024, in Nanaimo, British Columbia, of natural causes. He was born at the Grace Maternity Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 11, 1954, to Graham and Beulah Bruce. Vern grew up in Nova Scotia and later moved to Williams Lake, BC. He attended Columneetza Senior High, where he was popular with friends and teachers. As a young man, Vern moved to the Peace River BC area. He worked in Tumbler Ridge, BC, as a bus driver and later as a heavy equipment operator for Quintette Coal. Vern met his first wife, Catherine, in Tumbler Ridge. They were married in 1987 and had a daughter, Hope. Vern was involved in mine rescue. He enjoyed tinkering with cars, hunting, and travelling to visit family. In the late 1990s, Vern moved to Nanaimo, where he met his second wife, Janet Rafter. They were married in Las Vegas on March 10, 2006. Vern and Janet enjoyed travelling around Canada and the US in their early years together. In his later years, Vern enjoyed simple pleasures like sitting on the porch and going for drives with his wife. His favourite hockey team was the Vegas Knights. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and his good friends. Vern joins his wife Janet, who passed away after a long battle with cancer on September 30, 2018. He is also predeceased by his mother and father and sisters Vicky Bruce and Linda Thorson. Vern is survived by his siblings Ron Lynds, Lorna Zahn, and Lorraine Stacey (Tom), his daughter Hope, stepdaughters Penny Rafter and Tia Rafter, son-in-law Dail McDonald, and grandchildren Allen Halls-Rafter, Makaila McDonald, Hailey McDonald, and Ellis. Vernon Leslie Bruce will be remembered for his outgoing personality and conversation skills. He could strike up a conversation with anybody, and he loved his grandchildren very much. His ashes will be scattered with his late wife Janet’s ashes in a private service.

• Date : 2024-04-21
• Location : Nanaimo, BC