Russell Bruce Tuma

Russell Bruce Tuma, 69, left this earth to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, November 11, 2023, after a quick and difficult battle with pancreatic cancer. Bruce was surrounded by friends and family during his last days, and passed peacefully with his wife Terri at his side and family nearby.

Bruce, born on December 6, 1953 in Albany, Oregon, was the son of Russ and Fern Tuma. He grew up on a farm north of Monmouth, Oregon. He attended school in Monmouth and Independence and also went to Salem Academy for a time. He was graduated from Central High School in 1972, and went on to earn a welding certificate from Chemeketa Community College in Salem.

As a child, Bruce was full of curiosity and creativity. He would carefully take time to design every detail of his plans before building his projects. Bruce helped his father turn his bedroom into a log cabin. In the family barnyard, Bruce and his father built a lookout tower and a large ship which he and his friends would play war on. He built and raced a Soap Box Derby car. Later, he went on to restore a Model A Ford and a Chevrolet Corvette. Bruce loved to banter and tease his sisters but was also very caring and looked out for them. He helped one of his sisters by burying a pheasant she shot so she wouldn’t get into trouble. He also had a close relationship with his Raibley cousins and they spent many happy times together through the years. Bruce’s favorite holiday was Independence Day which he celebrated by going to the Monmouth parade and then swimming at Mr. Williamson’s pond.

Bruce and Terri were high school sweethearts. They finally married in 1988 and were happily married for 35 years. Bruce and Terri enjoyed frequent stays at the Oregon Coast. They spent many long weekends in Portland attending various performances and enjoyed trips to Astoria, Seattle, Washington D.C, Victoria B.C., California, England and Wales. Bruce and Terri built their home together and enjoyed working on many home projects.

Bruce loved his job of 33 years at Western Oregon University, especially when welding or fabricating parts. To coworkers and friends, his work lovingly became termed as “Tuma-built” or “Brucitized,” and he was nicknamed “Rebar Bruce.” A highlight of Bruce’s career at Western was designing, building and maintaining the beautiful campus entry signs and signs for many of the campus buildings. The massive star that lights the giant Sequoia every Christmas Season was another highlight. Bruce was honored with the Staff Excellence Award in 2017.

Outside of work, Bruce built a few things over the years: a couple of trailers for heavy equipment, small trailers for household use, a huge machine called a belt slitter that cuts conveyer belts for use in manufacturing. He fabricated the first Christmas tree forms that the City of Monmouth hangs on the Main Street lamp posts every year. He also made the locomotive weather vane that is atop the cupola of the Monmouth Public Library. He restored Independence’s first bank building, the J.S. Cooper Building. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Truly, Bruce’s craft is all over the Western campus and the towns of Monmouth and Independence.

Bruce liked to wear hickory shirts and a welding cap at work, and he wasn’t afraid to get dirty. He loved hotrods and classic cars and swap meets. He loved going to the drag strip in Woodburn and the sprint car races in Lebanon. In retirement, he started building a Model A roadster. He also had a fascination with trains and any kind of old machinery, including old tractors. He was interested in bronze casting and worked at an art foundry in Texas. Bruce loved US and European history. He liked wine tasting, attending music performances, visiting museums and art galleries. He enjoyed dining out (cheap or expensive) and preferred staying in a nice hotel suite instead of camping. He loved Independence Day and Christmas.

Bruce was a kind and generous man, slow to anger, and always ready for a laugh. He was positive and thoughtful. He was devoted to Terri. He loved his sisters and extended family with a passion. He had friends far and wide from all walks of life.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, Russ and Fern Tuma. Survivors, in addition to his wife Terri, are sisters Kathleen Hanson and Sharon Clinton (Jerry), and a multitude of extended family and friends.

Visitation will be open at Farnstrom Mortuary in Independence on Friday, December 1, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. To celebrate Bruce’s life, a gathering of family and friends will be held at the Dallas Retirement Village Chapel on Saturday, December 2 at 2:00 pm. Memories and condolences may be posted at https://www.farnstrommortuary.com/obituaries/ . Flowers may be delivered to Farnstrom Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to the Lustgarten Foundation which funds research for pancreatic cancer https://lustgarten.org/ .