- Date Of Birth: March 19, 1922
- Date Of Death: May 4, 2017
- State: Pennsylvania
Bruce F. Dague, Sr., 95, of Bethlehem, died on Thursday, May 4, 2017, in St. Luke’s Hospice House in Bethlehem, attended by his loving family. He was the loving husband of the late June (Ellis) Dague, who died on February 18 of this year after 75 years of marriage.
Born in Pittsburgh on March 19, 1922, he was the son of the late John W. and Mary C. (Coffey) Dague. Bruce was a Class A Machinist in Central Tool and the Homer Research Department at Bethlehem Steel for 42 years, retiring in 1982. During WWII Bruce served in the South Pacific as a Seamen first class on a Liberty Ship in the US Navy. He was a member of Rosemont Lutheran Church where he served as a board member and as an usher for many years.
Bruce attended Massanutten Military Academy and graduated from State College High School. He was an ardent supporter of Penn State football and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bruce was a master craftsman and designer who worked in both wood and metal, making everything from furniture, to home decorative pieces, to jewelry, as well as functional pieces such as an elaborate squirrel-proof birdfeeder.
As a prolific gardener, he was known for his tasty tomatoes which he shared liberally with family and neighbors. He was proficient in every area of home maintenance and once observed that “you will never see a repair truck in front of my house”. Quality of workmanship was never compromised.
As a devoted and caring husband, Bruce wrote many poems and beautiful love notes to June, “the love of my life”, whose death devastated him. Although both Bruce and June will be deeply missed, the family takes comfort in knowing they have been reunited for eternity.
Survivors: sons, Bruce F. Dague, Jr. and his wife, Beth, of Bethlehem; Keith M. Dague and his wife, Carol, of Lancaster; Dana E. Dague and his wife, Sandy, of Nazareth and a daughter, Beverly D. Henning of Pittsford, NY; 10 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; a sister, Sally Jones of Port Clinton, OH and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother, John W. Dague, and a son-in-law, Michael Henning.
