Cecil "Sam" Edward Bruce

Mr. Cecil Edward "Sam" Bruce, age 73, of Cleveland, Georgia passed away Wednesday in an Athens hospital following a brief illness.  A funeral service celebrating his life will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at May and Smith Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Washington County Memorial Gardens.  Reverend John Pirkle will officiate.  Serving as pallbearers will be John Bruce, Brad Roberts, Matthew Turner, Rhett Gardner, Dakota Spivey, Chase D'Anella, Clint Hancock and Chance Hancock. The family will greet friends Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until the hour of service at 2:00 p.m.

Sam was born in Postell Tennessee, the son of the late Cecil Bruce and the late Bonnie Dalton Bruce.  He was reared in Ducktown, Tennessee where he graduated from Copper Basin High School.  Sam moved to Atlanta in 1968 where he met and married his future bride of 54 years Brenda Turner.  He served his country in the U. S. Army during the Viet-Nam conflict.  Following his military service, Sam and Brenda returned to Atlanta where he began work as a carpenter and worked for Unclaimed Freight where he used his carpentry skills to repair furniture.  Sam acquired his life insurance license and became an agent for New York Life prior to creating his own mortgage brokerage business in which he and Brenda would operate until retiring.  He and Brenda retired to Sandersville to be near family where he worked for the Sandersville Farmers Furniture and later the Gainesville Farmers Furniture after moving to Cleveland. Sam was a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.  He possessed a lifelong love of fishing and enjoyed watching football and NASCAR racing.

Survivors include his wife, Brenda Turner Bruce of Cleveland; son, John Bruce of Bishop; his granddaughter, Ashley Bruce of Pendergrass; grandson, Lachlan Spivey; siblings Pete Bruce and Gwen Bruce both of Tennessee and Scellos Leavens of Snellville.

Donations may be made to Disabled Veterans, P O Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250 or to the American Heart Association, P. O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX  75284.

May and Smith Funeral Directors is in charge of these arrangements.  Share a condolence at www.mayandsmithfuneraldirectors.com