I met Bruce in 1983. I was 11 and in the 6th grade.  My mom had recently moved into an apartment.  She was not a jogger, but shortly after we moved in, she started jogging in the evenings.  One day I asked her about it. She said she enjoyed getting fresh air. It sounded suspicious but I didn’t push it.  One day my mom had to drop-off something off for Bruce.  His apartment was only about 2 blocks from ours. That’s when the penny dropped, and I realized that my mom was “jogging” so she could get away and have some time with Bruce. Gradually our family time started to blend more with Bruce and his kids. One Christmas he gave me my very own boom box with Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” cassette tape.  It was the only thing I really wanted for Christmas and I couldn’t believe he had gotten it for me! I was floored that he had picked out “Like a Virgin”! It was such a cool song and so controversial. I took it as a sign that he really knew me and was starting to see me as a teenager.  That night my mom and Bruce told us that they wanted to get married and wanted our blessing.  I couldn’t deny that Bruce loved my mom and she loved him, and they were really good together.  I gave my blessing.  As the years went on and I got to know Bruce and understood what made him tick. I increasingly appreciated him for the bright, loyal, protective, generous, humble man he was.  He spent his adult life intentionally living in the background pulling the puppet strings.  He regularly implored me to watch over my mom to make sure she was okay.  He gave her generous gifts but always marked them as being from their dog.  Generosity toward others is his Bruce’s most obvious trait. But he rarely turned his generosity toward himself. He avoided attention. He discouraged gifts and attention and preferred to work his magic in the background never seeking recognition.  His love for my mom was simple, pure, and irreplaceable. I consider myself blessed to be his daughter.

[Memorial Excerpt] After visiting with my Dad at the Mayo Clinic on Saturday, May 11th, I felt that Dad may not have much time. I called him to share a few messages.  I told him I hoped we would have much more time together, but that I recognized his treatment options were limited.  I told him he had been a great example to which he immediately asked “how so?”.  I responded that over the course of our 38 years together, he had modeled diligence, integrity, and dignity.  As I’m saying this, I paused the conversation to acknowledge a red fox that had run in front of my car. Getting back on message, I explained that he was very influential in my life.  After a while Dad was ready to change the subject and asked, “what’s the red fox doing now?”.  Just a few days later, he passed.  Fifteen hours later the entire immediate family convened to begin planning. I shared with them what I had said to Dad a few days earlier, including the part about the red fox.  Just minutes later, our planning and grieving was interrupted when someone spotted a red fox. All 22 of us began searching the garden area for a glimpse when it emerged and began walking the ridge that runs the width of the backyard. The fox stopped near the midpoint of the ridge and stared back at us for a brief moment before continuing on its way. It was Dad’s way of telling us he was okay, he was with us in spirit, and it was time to move things forward. 

Noah and I saw Dad frequently as he took responsibility for getting us to and from our extensive traveling sports commitments, which meant a lot of time in the car. No different than the television remote, Dad controlled the radio so, I learned a lot about the “oldies” and also about the songs and artists he really enjoyed. Queen, Billy Joel, and anything from Les Miserables were among his favorites. I will forever think about my dad when I hear his favorites and especially “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procul Harum. 

[Memorial Excerpt, Part 2] Dad taught me about hard work, following through on commitments, being fair, honesty, and integrity, and knowing where to draw a line and make a stand.  Dad supported me in everything I did. He was in the stands at every single hockey game I ever played, always supporting me.   Sometimes it was a little embarrassing when he would yell “Hey! Ref! You’re a bonehead”, but it was who he was.  Dad always offered great perspective.  He knew what to say, when to say it, and how to say it.  After the 1998 Minnesota Vikings NFC championship game, I was distraught.  We were supposed to go to the Super Bowl and I was excited! Then, we blew it.  I was crushed.   Dad walked in and said, “I have been watching the Vikings since the 1970’s. This is what they do, get used to it.” Right now, Dad would tell us to get on with things.  But we are all going to miss him for the rest of our lives.  We are all going to miss seeing that teddy bear side of dad, we will miss his presence.  We are going to miss his humor--his one-liners. I am going to miss the wisdom and perspective he shared.  The world lost a great man this week and I we lost and amazing dad and husband.  I know he is happy where we all are at in life, but there will be no replacing Bruce Tobin.  I love you Dad. 

[Memorial Excerpt, part 1] I want to acknowledge the people who are no longer with us—Dad’s parents James and Betty, his brother Jim, sister Nancy and her son Drew. All were extremely special to him.  Next, I are group who were important to my dad. First, is the 3M family. My dad worked for 3M for his entire career testifying to the friendships and corporate culture.  3M was a huge part of his identity.  Second, are his friends from Europe. Many relationships were formed there that continue today. Third, is the community in Arizona--3M’ers, family members, and friends moved there to enjoy each other’s company. Dad loved hanging-out at the fire pit with a Bourbon sharing memories with so many amazing people.
I also want to acknowledge specific individuals who left marks on my dad.  When their parents passed away, Nancy, Jim, and Mary Lee all stepped-up to help raise my dad and Barb.  Dad and Barb moved in with Nancy and her husband LeWayne. My dad looked up to LeWayne and admired him so much.  He was the rock and gave him the perspective he needed.  He absolutely adored Barb, his twin sister, and her husband and Dale.  My dad was a creature of habit and one of the things he always looked forward to was the 4th of July at Lake Mitchell, South Dakota. The last person I want to callout is Karen.  Karen was a soul mate for my Dad, they rounded each other out very well.  For years Karen used to say that Dad was a big teddy bear. She worked on him and softened him up a little each year.  In the end we all got to see that teddy bear and it was the most beautiful thing in the world.  As they say, “till death do us part” and “in sickness and in health”… Karen was there every waking second with my Dad.  She took amazing care of him, making sure he was comfortable and had what he needed.  Karen an amazing influence on my Dad and he knew it. He loved her so much! 

[Memorial Service Excerpt] Bruce was born on March 4, 1952.  He and his twin, Barb, were born to Jim & Betty Tobin, the youngest of five children:  Jim, Nancy, Mary Lee, Barb, & Bruce.  They were raised in Plankinton, South Dakota, until his parents died when he was a teenager.  Bruce attended the U of SD where he studied Business.  Bruce began working at 3M’s headquarters following his graduation in 1974.  Ten years later, he was given the opportunity to go to Brussels.  While in Brussels, he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and given a 35% chance of survival.  He returned home to receive treatment at Mayo Clinic.  Following chemotherapy and radiation to his chest, Bruce was declared cancer free in 1986.  Now that he was back in the Twin Cities, [Memorial Service Except] Bruce and Karen were married on January 11, 1986, and began the process of blending their families.  During the next 33 years, Bruce & Karen’s partnership flourished. They sent their kids to college, saw them married, and welcomed 11 grandchildren.  
In 2002, a second Brussels assignment brought Bruce & Karen back to Europe.  Bruce & Karen had the time of their lives touring Europe and making new friends.  They remained in Europe for five years, then returned to the U.S. to purchase a home in Rosemount, Minnesota.  In 2011, Bruce retired from 3M as EVP of International Finance after an esteemed 36-year career.  
At that time, Bruce underwent heart surgery.  Upon his recovery, he spent his final eight years enjoying retirement.  Bruce & Karen travelled the world, including trips to the Baltic, Africa, Canada, and U.S.  They also purchased a 2nd home in Arizona, where they continued to expand their friend group.  You could find Bruce at the local bingo hall where he often won!  Bruce fought lingering heart issues until the end.  Bruce passed away, fighting hopefully on May 17th just before midnight, surrounded by family.

We are very saddened by Bruce's passing as we have lost a very good friend, and you can't replace a friendship that was that special and cherished as much as we did. However, he will be remembered by us as a "truly great friend", and a person who made our lives better because of his presence in it. 

Please accept our sincere condolences for you and the complete Family.  Love and best personal regards. Ivan and Sharon Duke





We are so sorry for your loss. Will always remember the “pub crawls” we enjoyed so much with Karen, Bruce and the Brussels gang. Our sincere condolences to Karen and the entire Tobin family. Dave and Eileene Kurtz

We were so sorry and quite surprised to hear the news of Bruce's passing. We are sad to know of your loss and to have missed the celebration of his life last week. We feel very fortunate to have been able to spend time with you guys back in March and to see your beautiful home in AZ. I really appreciated the chance to have you join our kids and a few close friends at my birthday celebration.  A couple of our kids remarked after meeting Bruce how interesting he was and how much he knew about the world.  We sat and talked about alot of things that night at the party and probably had the best conversation I've had with him.

As I said at the party, I didn't work directly with him very often and really got to know him only in the last few years of his career at 3M but I would always go see him when I wanted to know the real answers about what was going on.  As you can imagine, he was always honest and always had an opinion which made for great conversation. 

We have lots of good memories of our traveling dinner parties and get togethers.  He was a terrific person who has left lasting memories with many people.  He will be missed.  

You are in our thoughts and prayers.

With our deepest sympathies,

Dennis and Lois

I am saddened to hear that Bruce passed.  Unfortunately we were unable to connect this winter while you were here in Arizona.  Bruce and I were fraternity brothers and also in the business school together.  It was fun when we did reconnect a couple of years ago. Bruce told me of his condition and his comment to me was that he has had a good life!  Karen, I am sure you were a big part of this good life with Bruce. All my sympathy to you and your family.  Doyle Knudson

 Tony and I are so sorry to hear of Bruce’s passing.  He was such a central part of the cafe culture in Brussels that we enjoyed!  He had this flirty twinkle in his eyes that I found so attractive.  What I noticed most about him was how he adored you (Karen) even after years of marriage. Just the way he looked at you said it all to me and it made me look for that same in my husband’s eyes (yes, it’s there but more hidden).   All our love . Carolyn and Tony Simpson

My favorite memory with grandpa was at Christmas. Everyone was drunk and goofing around, making jokes and just being silly. I was making jokes and just being myself, and I said a joke that made him authentically laugh. All I remember is how much it meant to me that I actually made him laugh. It showed me how much I looked up to him and respected his opinion of me. It may not have been a grandma-style belly laugh, but it was certainly enough for me to know that he did listen to me and liked me enough to laugh at me just like all the other adults.  Love, Kyle

I haven’t known Bruce long but one thing I noticed was how much he loved his family, especially Karen. My favorite memories are Christmas when Karen would get super excited and do something silly then Bruce would say “KAREN”, give her a little look and shake his head. Made me giggle because it was just a look but you could tell it was part of their love language. This last Christmas was extra memorable because Bruce stayed up pretty late with us all downstairs talking about life and sharing stories. --Taylor

I have always respected grandpa so much! I value what he thought of me. One time when we were having a family dinner, when I was really young, I was sitting on his lap in his recliner chair (which nobody was allowed to touch). We just sat there and watched TV together and chilled out. He was always a very respectable guy  and I was always interested in getting to know how more and more about him. Love, Rebekah

I’ve always shared the same birthday as grandpa and with that came a special connection. I always appreciated that we could share that and think of each other on that day. I have fond memories of how special it was when he would take me to a Wild game on our birthday and celebrate together. Love, Gavin

I have benefited from observing Bruce for >30 years. A casual observer may miss 'how’ Bruce loved others. I believe one of the special ways Bruce experienced joy was by watching others be happy and being an instrument in the background to make that happen. He never wanted to be the one on the stage receiving the credit. Rather, he enabled and encouraged Karen to be his instrument of love. He loved watching her take care of (and often spoil rotten) the family. I believe his reward was doubled when Karen spoiled us because he loved seeing us happy and her being appreciated for her kindness. He got to witness the good being done...yet the credit mostly went to someone else! Even the most generous Christmas gifts he gave were always attributed to the dog, Theo! Bruce will be missed, but the many lessons he demonstrated through the way he lived his life won't be forgotten. 

Dear family,

My sincere condolences with the loss of Bruce.

Bruce was my boss at 3M Europe in Brussels many years ago. He was quite a character - direct, and providing feedback, that didn´t leave any room fort doubt. Very professional, but most of all a real caring person, putting his people in the centre. I´ll never forget his support after my daughter´s accident. I learned so much from him, both professionally, but also from a human perspective.

Best personal regards,
Jan Broere
The Netherlands  

Bruce appeared to many as a tough guy, but he was a teddy bear on the inside.  He and I approached things differently, but normally came up with the same answer.  Karen, I am saddened for you and your pain, but Bruce will live on with all of us who are grieving his loss.  My respects, Mary Fetters

Dear Family it is with sadness and gratitude for who Bruce was and how he will stay alive in us . I am Belgian and was working in his team from Finance 3M Europe . He was a great example for being a real 3M'er . My condolences for the whole family 
Frank

Bruce, you were a mentor to me, (Janie) when the Scheela’s returned from overseas.  Albeit tough, however, the rewards paid off.  Walt and I also appreciated your gracious social side of you and your family away from 3M!  
Love, Walt and Janie Scheela

Bruce taught me a lot about 3M when I joined as CFO.   Bruce always told you what was on his mind and little time for wasted effort.  Bruce was highly respected and was a great individual 

Gathering of Family and Friends

Celebration of Life

He lives on in the memories of wife, Karen; sons, Ryan & Noah, and their wives Wendy and Alia, respectively; step-children & spouses: Laura & Scott, Shannon & Brian, Joshua & Darah, as well as, many grandchildren: Grant & Bryn, Lily & Ava, Daniel & Annika; Gavin, Kyle, & Rebekah; Xander & Greyson. He is also survived by his twin sister, Barb Odegaard, & her family of Mitchell, South Dakota; sister, Mary Lee Tobin of Kenosha, Wisconsin; and brother-in-law LeWayne Erickson & his family of Brookings, South Dakota.

Bruce was predeceased by his parents: James & Betty Tobin, brother: Jim Tobin, sister: Nancy Erickson, and nephew: Drew Erickson.

OBITUARY

Mr. Bruce William Tobin

March 4, 1952 – May 17, 2019

Wulff Woodbury Funeral Home

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