Bruce R. McAllister, age 82, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 2, 2018 at Longmont United Hospital. Bruce was born on January 26, 1936 in San Francisco, CA to Decker and Martha McAllister.
After receiving a BA from Harvard University, he served in Berlin as a 1st Lieutenant with the 2nd Battle Group, Sixth Infantry. After the army, Bruce worked as a photojournalist for an array of publications, including Look and LIFE magazines. He also earned his commercial pilot’s license, becoming an aerial photographer. He ultimately logged 5,000-plus hours of flight time. Bruce settled in Denver with his first wife, Josephine Bonnyman, in 1962. They had Margot Berry McAllister in 1963. Bruce raised Margot as a bachelor. He remarried Claire Elizabeth Ruple in 1980. They raised two daughters, Jacqueline and Lucy.
Bruce’s photography took him around the world several times. He was the first photographer to reach the Prudhoe Bay Oil Rig No. 1. He was also known for his portraits, which included the likes of John F. Kennedy and Bradford Washburn. He additionally published more than a dozen photographic history books. In his Cessna 210, Bruce flew as far as the Arctic Circle, oftentimes carrying his daughters and many pets on board. He also scaled mountains both near and far from Colorado, including the Chillkoot Trail in Alaska and Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador. Bruce loved bodysurfing and swimming, skills he learned as a kid in Hana, Maui where he spent his summers. Wherever Bruce went, his friendly nature, energy, zest for life, and adventure earned him many friends. He was most proud of his three daughters.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, Decker and Martha; brother, Decker Jr.; and wives, Josephine and Claire. He is survived by his daughters, Margot, Jacqueline, and Lucy; granddaughter, Amelia; sons-in-law, Jim, Siddharth, and Albert; as well as several cousins, a niece, and a nephew. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggests donations to Doctors Without Borders.
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