Bruce Reynolds Maxwell

October 12, 1935 - December 25, 2021

Bruce Reynolds Maxwell was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on October 12, 1935. He died in West Linn, Oregon at the age of 86. He joined the US Navy at the age of 17 in 1953 during the Korean Conflict and was deployed on the Destroyer USS Rowe, DD 564. The fleet was on a world cruise, so he was able to see many countries at a young age which sparked his love of travel. When the kids were young the family story was that the Koreans were so scared when he joined the US Navy that the conflict ended! The kids believed it when they were young, and maybe it was true...? He met his wife, Marlene in Virginia Beach, Virginia while he was on leave, and she was on vacation. They bonded while singing shared Lutheran Hymns. The US Navy gave him an early discharge in 1956 for compassionate reasons because both of his parents died within months of each other that year. In 1957, he married his wife, Marlene. They raised their family in The Bronx, New York; Queens, New York; Branford, Connecticut and Florham Park, New Jersey. His career started in the early "High Tech Industry" with IBM and then Burroughs (Unisys). He ended his career as a technical instructor in Data Communications. He was fortunate to travel for work, and he took Marlene with him whenever he could. Family camping vacations were a high priority, and he took the family out in nature every chance he could. An adventurous spirit, he became a pilot in his 60's and enjoyed many years of flying his vintage 1946 Aeronca Chief airplane. After retiring, he and Marlene lived in Leesburg, Florida and would travel by camper van to Oregon every summer to see their kid's families. While still In Florida, he and Marlene enjoyed volunteering for Angel Flight Southeast and a local Hospital. In 2010, they moved to Oregon full-time and volunteered for delivery of Meals on Wheels as well as Co-coaching his Grandson's soccer team. Ever adventurous, he celebrated his 80th birthday by flying and making a perfect landing in a taildragger airplane. With a trip to Alaska in 2006 and a trip to Hawaii in 2016, he and Marlene reached their goal of visiting all 50 states. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marlene Kruse Maxwell and their children and grandchildren.A Memorial Service will be scheduled later. In lieu of flowers please send donations in memory of Bruce R Maxwell to The St. Andrew Foundation (https://standrewlutheran.com/give/st-andrew-foundation/), St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 12405 SW Butner Rd, Beaverton OR 97005. Arrangements are being handled by Holman-Hankins-Bowker & Waud, www.waudsfuneralservice.com.