Bruce Leon Nordlund

Obituary Bruce Leon Nordlund A Splendid Man Born in Pomona, California, to Frances and Earl Nordlund, Bruce was a child of the Depression whose character was set by the necessity of tough times and the optimism of a better future. He drew strength from this throughout his most interesting life and has left a legacy for all who were fortunate to know him. He was most proud of his four sons, who he considered his greatest achievement. Although living most of his young life in Southern California, his family lived in Seattle during elementary school, bringing cookies to the national guardsmen manning their posts above the city during WWII and taking the trolley to watch baseball at Sick's Stadium for a nickel. From his mother he learned his own success was based on making the room a better place, which so many have come to understand. Scandinavian order and responsibility were traits owed to his father, who showed Bruce how to help people find out what was good about themselves. He returned to California where he met his lifelong best friend, Billie Cullen; calling each other at least once a week, most frequently during UCLA football games. In high school and Riverside City College, he excelled in sports and at graduation received draft offers from the Chicago Cubs and the U.S. Army. A true "John Wayne" patriot, the military won out and fortunate for us all, Bruce's typing skills kept him at home, based at Fort Ord, as a secretary where he was able to develop his golfing skills. From there he attended UCLA and married Marcia Younglove before earning his Bachelor's Degree at UC Berkley. Upon graduation, he gained employment as a salesman for several metal supply companies in Southern California, before starting his own machine shop, BT Screw Products, producing parts for a wide variety of companies, including Rickenbacker Guitars and NASA. The business was sold at retirement, and after residing several more years in the Newport Beach area, he moved to Tacoma to be with his grandkids. He is survived by his four sons: Lee (Bridget); Chase (Diana) and their children Gillian, Olivia and Gabriel; David (Maria), and their children David Jr., Monica, Sofia and Marcos; and Paul (Melissa, dec. 2012); and numerous nieces and nephews. Through his adult life Bruce lived for his sons and their families; having passed on his sense of devotion to raising spirits and seeking the joy in others. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 11:00am at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Please leave online condolences at www.gaffneycares.com. Arrangements by Gaffney Funeral Home, 253-572-6003.