Christopher Bruce Dent

Born on January 25, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland, Bruce was the son of the late Dr. Ernest DuBose Dent, Jr., and the late Dorothy McCalman Dent. He grew up in Columbia and attended Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, graduating in 1969 from Hammond School. Bruce continued his studies at The University of South Carolina and Midlands Technical College.

In his early work life, Bruce worked on land surveying crews and later spent sixteen years in the cable television industry. He went on to serve as a computer operator in the Division of Information Technology at the University of South Carolina, where he worked for twenty-one years until his retirement in 2022.

Bruce was an avid reader and possessed a substantial knowledge of American and European history. He was especially interested in his Scottish and Irish heritage. He loved Irish and Scottish music and traditions. He often enjoyed trips to Charleston and Waxhaw for the Scottish games. In recent years, he had become very fond of Celtic harp music and taught himself to play. He even composed a few original tunes. During his illness, listening to this music and playing his harp brought him comfort and peace.

Bruce’s other great love was the outdoors, especially the mountains. He loved canoeing on the Congaree, Saluda, Wateree, and other rivers, as well as Lake Jocassee in the Upstate. He spent many happy days hiking the trails in areas such as Table Rock and Jones Gap, often with friends and nearly always with Dougal, his beloved German Shepherd. He also enjoyed sharing the fun of hiking and canoeing with his nephew and nieces, who have treasured memories of those times spent with their uncle.

Bruce was passionate about preserving the environment that we have been so richly blessed with. He donated generously to this cause as well as to children’s hospitals and organizations that help the less fortunate.

The Christmas holidays were one of Bruce’s favorite times of year. He decorated two trees in his home and played holiday music all month. He enjoyed perusing catalogs to find unique presents for each family member. Some of his very favorite times were Christmases spent in Myrtle Beach with the whole family gathered together, sharing lots of food and laughter.

Bruce is survived by his sister Pamela Diane Dent, his nephew Charles Eugene Evans IV, his nieces Kristin Diane Altman ( husband Bobby), Alison Elizabeth Capp (husband Tre’), and Pamela Kelly Pysmennyi (husband Vadym), as well as his grandnephews Knox and Dawson Capp, and grand nieces Zoey and Lennox Altman and Mila and Sofia Pysmennyi.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff of SC Oncology, MUSC Medical Center Downtown, Fox Rehabilitation, and Pathways Hospice for their kind and compassionate care. Bruce’s final resting place will be in a wooded area among the native SC trees and wildlife that he loved so much. A celebration of his life will be held in the near future. Memorials may be made in Bruce’s memory to St. Jude's Children's Hospital and the National Wildlife Federation.