Bruce Jay Stephan was born on June 30, 1944 in Waterloo, IA, son of Chris Joseph and Grace Elizabeth (Stone) Stephan. Bruce was born and raised in Reinbeck. After graduating from Reinbeck High School in 1962, Bruce worked with his brothers at Stephan?s DX which later became Stephan?s Dodge. In 1971, Bruce went to work for Dorfman Auto Parts in Cedar Falls, IA and Traer, IA. In the late 80?s, he worked for Rick?s Amoco of Reinbeck. On July 2, 1993, Bruce was united in marriage to Diane Schellhorn Weber at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. In the early 90?s, Bruce purchased B & R Sanitation, which he operated until his retirement in February 2006.
Bruce was a ?typical hometown guy? who was always willing to give a hand to his neighbors and community. He was a proud American and served his country with honor during the Vietnam War. Bruce was also a dedicated volunteer firefighter, serving over 38 years with the Reinbeck Volunteer Fire Department. He served on the Reinbeck City Council for many years and was also a Lifetime member of the American Legion Post #242. Bruce didn?t have too many hobbies, but his biggest one had to be his love of cars. Bruce enjoyed detailing his own vehicles as well as many members of the community?. He loved driving around town in his red Dodge pickup with faithful passenger, Tasha, his dog. Bruce was a very dedicated family man. He was always worried how everyone else was doing, with no thought of himself. Bruce enjoyed his time at the lake home on Holiday Lake and especially when he had family and friends with him.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Diane of Reinbeck; three sons, David (Jean) Stephan of Davenport, IA, Kyle Weber of Waterloo, Chad Weber of Reinbeck; one daughter, Elizabeth Stephan of Oxford, MS; three grandchildren, Samuel, Grace and Mary Stephan; three brothers, Robert (Jean) Stephan, Donald (Lois) Stephan all of Reinbeck, Kenneth (Shirley) Stephan of Austin, MN.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents. Chris and Grace Stephan.