June 13, 1940 – May 14, 2026
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the peaceful passing of David Austin "Dave" Bruce on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Health Sciences North in Sudbury, with his family at his side, after a short illness. He was 85.
Born June 13, 1940 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to John and Dorothy Bruce (both predeceased), Dave was a long-time resident of Sudbury, Ontario, making his home most recently in nearby Garson.
Dave leaves behind Nancy Hollmer, his beloved spouse of 37 years, and a large, loving family. He will be profoundly missed by his children Cynthia, Sabrina (Brian); his stepchildren Kim (Dan), Wendi (Roger), James (Wendy), Lisa (Derek), and Bernie (Sarah); his grandchildren Ashleigh (Douglas), Ashley (Josh), Alexandre (Anniek), Ruby, and Amanda (Jamie); his great-grandchildren David and Kenzington. He also loved his children Michael and Linda, as well as his many step-grandchildren.
Dave was predeceased by his siblings Sharon (Ted), Bob, Dorothy (Lawrence), Rita, and Jack (Gloria) — and by all of their spouses. He was also predeceased by his dear friend and chosen family Art, whose children Jason, Shawn (Erin), and Cory (predeceased) remain part of the family Dave held close.
Dave spent his working life as a miner with INCO, finishing his career in the print shop of the Engineering building before retiring at 65. He was proud of the work and prouder still of the people he did it alongside. Over the years, he led several mine rescue teams and earned many awards for his service — a part of his career that spoke to who he was at his core: steady under pressure, loyal to his crew, and willing to put himself in harm's way for the people counting on him.
Outside of work, Dave's passions ran deep. A lifelong numismatist, he began collecting coins as a young man and developed a particular love for silver, pieces of eight, die cracks, and anything connected to Manitoulin trade dollars and tokens. He could spot a rare piece at a glance and was always happy to tell you exactly why it mattered — whether you'd asked or not.
He was, in his day, an avid camper and fisherman, with tournament wins to his name. For decades, the camp he and Nancy built on Musky Bay was his happy place — a refuge of water, woods, hummingbirds, and good company.
Dave loved cruising and travelling with Nancy, often joined by their faithful companions Molly, Elmo, and Hélène. He had a soft spot for The Curse of Oak Island, Skinwalker Ranch, the Blue Jays, the Edmonton Eskimos, and any show about animals in the wild. He played a sharp game of cribbage, euchre, poker, or spades, and could be counted on to race his grandchildren through a jigsaw puzzle (and to win, more often than not).
Dave was a man of obscure facts, strong opinions, and silly jokes — the kind that made you groan and grin in the same breath. "You've noticed that geese fly in a V, right? And one side is always longer than the other. Do you know why? Because there are more geese on that side." He told that one a hundred times, and it never stopped being funny to him.
He knew what he liked and stuck with it: mango Stilton, chocolate chip cookies from the Superstore, bridge mix, licorice all sorts, and smoked trout. He'd tell you how it is — and you loved him for it.
"Amazing Grace" was a hymn Dave and his mother Dorothy both held dear. He also took quiet pride in a lullaby he sang to his children that has lived on as his grandchildren's bedtime song — a tie running through the generations
A Celebration of Dave's life will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at the Sudbury Event Centre, 19 Regent Street, Sudbury. Relatives and friends are invited to join with the family from 12:00p.m – 4:00p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dave's memory may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.