Bruce Thomas Johnson

Bruce was born in Des Moines, Iowa on Sept.29, 1963, joyfully welcomed by his parents, Thomas R and Mary L (Guild) Johnson, and sister Denise. On his second birthday the family moved to Ottumwa, Iowa, which became Bruce’s hometown.

Bruce was a fun-loving, adventurous child. He added an element of excitement to everything in which he was involved. He even found a way to turn his weekly paper route and lawn mowing jobs into something adventurous. He especially loved exploring the neighborhood on his purple sting-ray bike and the nearby “endless” woods with his buddies (dogs included). He had a tender heart for animals and valued nature.

During his teenage years he looked forward to church and scout camps, family vacations, and time spent with relatives on their South Dakota farms.

Bruce was born with a beautiful baritone voice, which lead to his participation in several musical ventures in high school and college. He was self-taught in many areas of interest: theater, guitar, drawing, sculpting, photography, writing, and survival craft. Early on, it was obvious that he could easily out-smart nearly everyone. A natural sense for mechanics and construction lead to careers requiring strategy and problem solving.

Bruce wed Tracey Frink in 1986. While Bruce was enrolled in seminary at Andover-Newton Theological Seminary in Boston, sons Thomas and Samuel joined the family. After parting ways, Bruce and Tracey continued to co-parent the boys.

In 1995, Bruce and Stacey Kelley were joined in marriage, becoming a family of four. During their 28 years together, the couple lived and worked in Fairfield, IA and Kansas City, MO. Bruce and Stacey remained best friends for the rest of his life.

Bruce’s career began with pastorates in Iowa, followed by construction, and project management. His longest term employment was with the City of Kansas City in code enforcement and code inspection. In the summer of 2023, he fulfilled his boyhood dream of living and working on a ranch. Three months of sun, wind and cattle on the South Dakota prairie proved to be enough to satisfy his childhood longings. In recent years he served the people of his community with the City Home Repair Program.

Since Bruce’s passing, numerous comments about his generosity of time, skills and resources have been shared. Bruce will be remembered for his kindness and respect for people he worked with and for, from “all walks of life”.

Bruce had no illusions about his frailties. Much of his energy was spent coping with and managing Severe Treatment Resistant Major Depressive and Mood Disorder. He understood and grieved that his mental health issues impacted his relationships, especially those for whom he cared most deeply. He also had great empathy for others who cope with similar diagnoses.

All his life, Bruce thought deeply about and invested heavily in a relationship with God. God walked with him.

Bruce is survived by son Thomas and grandson, Jacob; son Samuel and daughter-in-law, Hannah Chequer-Queiroz; mother Mary Johnson, sister Denise and brother-in-law Dave Hair; and nephew Doug Hair.

Bruce is predeceased by his father, Thomas Johnson and grandparents: Mell Johnson, Margaret (DeWeese) Johnson, William and Frances (Ockenga) Guild.

There are people who can give you everything you want, and there are others who’ll give you everything they have.

Visitation services will be held at McGilley & George Funeral Home and Cremation Services, located at 12913 Grandview Road, Grandview, MO, 64030, United States. The visitation is scheduled for January 15, 2026, from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm, followed by a memorial service at 1:00 pm.