Wayne Bruce Thompson

It is with both sadness at his death and gratitude that he was part of our lives that we share the news of the passing of our husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, mentor, Wayne Bruce Thompson.

Bruce’s spirit left this earth at home surrounded by his immediate family. His was a long goodbye after his diagnosis of cancer over three years ago. He died with mind and spirit intact and he gained the respect of all by the way he dealt with death, as he had with life, with courage and fortitude.

Bruce was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on June 12, 1941, to parents Wayne Walter Thompson and Bertha Delp. He grew up on a small farm there and never really lost his “farm boy” sensibilities despite his eventual move to the Philadelphia area and his career as a School Psychologist. As children, he and his brother, David and their sister Marthalee learned the value of hard work, self sufficiency and independence. Bruce developed lifelong friendships with other boys in the area as well as lifelong interests in hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. He and David had a history of getting involved in some misadventures and both often regaled family members with stories about these.

As a boy, Bruce much preferred the outdoors to the schoolroom and was not a stellar student. During high school, his mom saw the situation developing and sent him away to finish school at Ben Lippen, a Christian School in Asheville, North Carolina. It was there that he began to take his academics and his Christian faith more seriously. He graduated in 1959 and was admitted to Elizabethtown College where he did well academically and graduated in 1963.

Immediately upon graduation Bruce was drafted into the U.S. Army and served as a medic on various bases, including Fort Sam Houston and Fort Dix. It was while he was at Fort Dix that he had the opportunity to work with a well-known psychiatrist which sparked his interest in the mental health field. He pursued this career at Temple University after his honorable discharge in 1965. (It was also a point of pride with him that he was an expert marksman in the Army despite having only 20/100 vision in his left eye.)

Post-military Bruce enrolled in a Masters Degree program in Counseling Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. It was there that he met Mary Maurer Welte, who was in the same program. They were wed on June 11, 1967, and married in the Wayne Presbyterian Church. Although they shared some hobbies, Mary and Bruce often differed in their activities. Nevertheless, their partnership was a strong one, as they shared the important values and had a deep love and respect for each other.

They established their home in Ambler, PA where their two children, Christopher (“Kip”) and Caroline (“Callie”) grew up.

In 1969 Bruce was hired by the Abington School district as a School Psychologist. He retired in 1999 after 30 years at Abington. As a school psychologist he frequently interfaced with quite challenging youth and families and was respected by his colleagues for handling difficult situations with skill and tact.

His “day job” notwithstanding, Bruce’s true love was working with his hands (he liked to be able to “see” the fruits of his labors). In his spare time, he and his business partners renovated dilapidated properties, transforming them into attractive rental properties. This work involved working with a crew of other craftsmen with whom he developed mutually respectful relationships, in part because Bruce was never the “silent partner” or supervisor. He preferred to do a significant amount of the work himself, including the electrical and plumbing work, for which he earned his licenses. Additionally, he involved his son, Kip, and his friends at times to help with many of the projects, thus teaching them significant aspects of the trades.

Bruce was also an avid outdoorsman. During the summer, he could be found on his boat on the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Bay, or the Atlantic Ocean fishing for flounder, or any variety of gamefish. His fishing trips took him all over North and Central America, from Costa Rica to Panama, to the Dominican Republic. He also enjoyed taking Mary on “surprise” mini vacations to such places as Iceland and Denmark and many family vacations were taken in our camper trailer.

In the fall he would hunt for pheasant, turkey, or deer, usually with his childhood friends from Lancaster. They purchased a hunting cabin in Central Pennsylvania to have a home base for deer season. Bruce loved the strong sense of camaraderie and authenticity there and after a long day of hunting, looked forward to evenings dining on venison stew and playing the card game “Up and Down the River”.

Bruce also made time to watch the Eagles and the Phillies and was a lifelong fan of both teams. His Eagles fandom was finally rewarded with Eagles Super Bowl wins in 2018 and 2025.

After his retirement from Abington School District (and for the rest of his life), Bruce actively managed his successful real estate business, traveled domestically and internationally with family and friends and was involved in the work of the First Presbyterian Church of Ambler, where he had joined Mary in becoming a member since the 1970’s. In 2004, he added a new role to his already busy retirement life, namely that of grandfather. His two grandchildren, Cole and Avey, were the apples of his eye, and he took pleasure in their growth and prowess in academics, athletics, and more importantly, their becoming the good people they are. He was able to play an integral part in positively shaping their moral development, both by serving as a role model and by providing sage advice (usually when solicited). His bond with both of them was close, as it was with his children and with his son-in-law, (Thayne) and his daughter- in -law (Mei Lisa). His grandchildren affectionately called him “Brupa”, a nickname that was adopted by other family members as well.

Bruce was known and respected as a dependable, steady principled man who was always ready to do his share and more. His Christian faith was also important to him, and it was demonstrated more in deed than in word. He became a surrogate father of sorts for his children-in -law and his children’s friends. He also was a mentor and role model, exhibiting a rare form of masculinity, one in which he was a strong, tough provider who put his family first but at the same time a caring and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He never hesitated to tell his family “I love you” or to be affectionate with them.

Perhaps surprisingly, given his reliability and dependability, Bruce was also a great story teller and life with him was never boring. He was adventurous and loved to travel. He was curious and could be gregarious and skilled at meeting new people in many settings. In fact, he had such a wide network of friends and business associates that his son in law dubbed him “The Mayor”. He could take as well as hand out teasing and his laugh could brighten the room.

In short, Bruce left this world a better place. He truly made the most of his 84 years on this earth and until we are with him again, he will be missed immensely by all of us.

A private family celebration of life will be held in lieu of a service. Contributions in remembrance can be made to The Sarcoma Foundation of America ( www.curesarcoma.org) or to Boys Town.