Bruce Wilkerson

Bruce W. Wilkerson
1937 ~ 2018

Bruce Wallace Wilkerson, age 80, passed away peacefully on May 12, 2018. Born June 13, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois to Wallace and Helen (Bergstrom) Wilkerson. Bruce was the first born son with one sibling, his brother Gary. The family resided in Prospect Heights, Illinois.

As a teenager Bruce attended Arlington Heights Township High School and was known as a good student. Bruce was also the captain of the football and wrestling team, participated in track and was fully engaged in student activities.

After high school Bruce enrolled at Grinnell College in Iowa where he majored in engineering physics. While at Grinnell Bruce excelled at football. He also completed USAF ROTC. Upon graduation, in addition to an engineering degree, Bruce received a Regular Officer Commission as a Second Lieutenant in the active Air Force and was soon sent to pilot training. While undergoing advanced pilot training at Webb AFB he ran afoul of the wrong flight instructor (not uncommon in 1960). Bruce's pilot training was terminated and the discouraged young man, with a high aptitude to be a pilot, was given a navigator training assignment.

Being a good soldier, Bruce packed up his gear, bid Big Springs, Texas adieu and drove the 552 miles to Harlingen AFB in the Rio Grande Valley. Back to square one. Bruce was assigned to Navigator Class 61-09 and dutifully acquired the technical skills to earn Air Force Navigator wings. Bruce's high class ranking and penchant for engineering likely influenced his assignment to Advanced Navigator Reconnaissance Bombardment Course at Mather AFB, California. This course was followed by survival training near Reno, Nevada and B-52 crew training at Castle AFB, California. The poor fellow could not seem to get out of school.

At last Bruce was assigned to an operational unit, the 668th Bomb Squadron (SAC) at Griffiss AFB, New York where he served as a Bombardier Navigator (Radar/Nav) on the B-52. He served in this squadron until 17 October 1966 when he was discharged from the Air Force.

Bruce had two sons, Kevin and Bret from a first marriage. Years later in California, Bruce and Dona Fry met through their children, and each quickly realized that this was "the only one for me." On October 17, 1981, Bruce married his soulmate Dona. Thus began 37 years of beautiful adventure together. At the time Bruce was working as a sales representative and later formed his own business. In 1989, Bruce and Dona purchased a ranch in Temecula, CA where they grew avocado, grapefruit, and other California fruits. The couple opened a gift store in California, followed by another in Minnesota. In 1992 they retired and spent the next 26 years living in the St. Croix River Valley of Minnesota.

Eventually they closed their stores and Bruce assumed a very supportive role for Dona as she perfected her artistic skills. He definitely proved himself to be a loving husband and father, a rancher, businessman, patriot, a devoted fisherman, by many accounts a gourmet cook, a worthy craftsman, and most of all a true Christian.

At the time of his passing Bruce and Dona resided in Stillwater, Minnesota. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Dona Wilkerson; brother Gary (Marina) Wilkerson; sons, Kevin and Bret (Kristie) Wilkerson; granddaughter Jessi (Joey) Medina, nieces Sara and Lilly Wilkerson, and nephew, Nick Wilkerson.