Bruce A. Lobdell's Obituary
Bruce Lobdell, of Spring Lake, Michigan died on April 8, 2024, at Trinity Hospital, Muskegon after a fall. Born July 5, 1952, in Grant Hospital, Newaygo County, the first of four children to William Claud Lobdell and Beatrice Hogan Lobdell. Bruce grew up on a strawberry and vegetable farm on Moorland Road, Ravenna, Michigan where he ran barefoot to the field to fetch corn and tomatoes for customers. He graduated in 1970 from Ravenna High School, an excellent student, who ran on the school’s Cross Country Team. Bruce was nominated to the Naval Academy, however was too young to accept. He enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the Vietnam War, serving as an Electronics Technician and Radio Station DJ. His Navy training led to a 42-year career with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) as an Electronics Technician and Supervisor maintaining radar and other navigational aids at airports in Cleveland, OH; Anchorage, Fairbanks, Nome, Sitka and Juneau, Alaska. Bruce had a thousand stories of adventures in Alaska: landing in helicopters on mountaintops, close call in a small plane on a Nome beach, bear hunting and being stranded in the Bush, traversing the Gulf of Alaska twice in a sailboat, rescuing a fellow sailor after her boat was struck by a whale. Bruce loved dogs, SASS Cowboy shooting, hunting, fishing and motorcycles. In 2007, he rode from Alaska on his Harley V-Rod via the Alcan Highway to Lander, Wyoming where he married his True Love, Barbara Ann Lobdell; they rode back to Alaska together, dodging a wolf, bear and moose along the way. Bruce and Barbara lived in Juneau, Alaska until retirement in 2013, when they moved to Spring Lake, Michigan to be close to his family.
Bruce is survived by his wife, Barbara Ann Lobdell; daughter, Beth Marie (Will) Johnson of Anchorage, AK; former wife, Cathy Aldridge of Sedalia, MO; sisters, Betsy (David Vis) Lobdell of Grand Haven, MI and Betty (Jerry Trimble) Brown of Ft Worth, TX; brother, Bill (Bonita) Lobdell of Booker, FL; sister-in-law Elyse Chapman of Coralville, IA; aunt, Ardis Hogan (AJ) Wilke of Norton Shores, MI; uncle, Bob (Shirley) Hogan of Ravenna, MI; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his grandparents; parents; 18 aunts and uncles; brother-in-law, Bruce Chapman; and sister-in-law, Bonnie Chapman Prahl.
A visitation will be held Friday, April 12, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 PM at The Ravenna Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 3570 Thomas St., Ravenna, Michigan 49451. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, April 12, 2024, at The Ravenna Chapel, with Pastor Aaron Gregory officiating. Military Rites will be conducted by the Ravenna American Legion Post #297. Burial will be at Moorland Cemetery. Donations in Bruce’s memory may be made to the American Legion, Post #28, PO Box 439, Grand Haven, MI 49417-0439; American Legion Post #297, PO Box 302, Ravenna, MI 49451; or a charity of your choice. Those wishing to sign Bruce’s Memory Book online may do so at www.sytsemafh.com.
Live Stream Access Link:
https://youtube.com/live/qhT27IC32RY?feature=share
Library of Congress: Veteran's History Project Interview
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/vhp/1094/109493/afc2001001_109493_sr0001001.mp3
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