Stephen Ives Bruce

Senior Chief Dental Tech. (SW) USN Retired Stephen Ives Bruce, 71, of Woodbury, passed away on December 16, 2020. Steve was born in Somerville, NJ; he resided in Chesapeake, VA and Howell, NJ before moving to Woodbury, NJ.
Steve was predeceased by his loving parents, Curtis Brown Bruce II and Lucy Gardner VI Meloney; his beloved aunt, Marjorie Iris Meloney; and his darling wife Doreen "Dee" (nee Boyd) Bruce. He is survived by his son Stephen Ives (Heather) Bruce, Jr. of Suffolk, VA; daughters Jannette Katharine (John) Bruce of Upper Deerfield, NJ and Pamela Gwenne (Daniel) Bruce of Kuwait; brother Curtis Brown Bruce III; and three grandchildren: Cameron Stephen Bruce, Emily Michelle Bruce, and Elena Lucia Alveo Bruce.
Steve graduated from Bridgewater-Raritan High School and received his Bachelors degree from University at Albany - SUNY. Following his distinguished and decorated twenty-five year Navy career during which he served aboard the USS New Jersey and the USNS Mercy, among others, and at the National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda), Steve continued in his field of dental assisting as a teacher for Cape May County Technical Schools, a patient care coordinator for the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey Dental School, and president of the Dental Assisting National Board. A devoted Christian, in his retirement, Steve continued to serve others as he worked as a UMC Lay Minister, founded a GriefShare group, sang tenor in his church choir, and organized music ministry for his retirement community.
Memorial services will be held at a future date under the direction of DAVIS & WAGNER FUNERAL HOME Woodbury, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (nmcrs.org) or the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (msfocus.org). Memories and condolences shared at daviswagner.com.
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