Bruce Gordon Smith

Bruce Gordon Smith, father, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend went home to his Heavenly Father around October 12, 2024 in Gulf Breeze, Florida at the age of 65. He was born the youngest child of Lt. Col. C.L. and Marlys (Sorensen) Smith on August 4, 1959 at Tripler US Army Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.

A self-proclaimed “military brat,” Bruce, his older sister, Wendy, and older brother, Wes, moved all over the United States, but in 1965, their father’s career took them to Pensacola, Florida, which quickly became Bruce’s favorite place on Earth. He attended Scenic Heights Elementary and Ferry Pass Middle School in Pensacola where he met lifelong friends who were considered by Bruce to be family. He was an excellent pitcher for the local Little League in Pensacola, and he often got picked to play on the All-Star team. In ninth grade, he moved with his mom and older brother to Blair, Nebraska where he became a Blair Bear and graduated in 1977.

Bruce got back to Pensacola as fast as he could and worked to pay for his own college. He started off at Pensacola Junior College to get his basics done before transferring to the University of West Florida where he graduated from in 1981 with his bachelor’s degree in business and supply chain management. Shortly after graduating, he moved to Houston to find a job. He also did a short stint in Corpus Christi, but landed back in the Houston-area, where he worked in procurement for companies such as Exxon, Arco, Merichem, and Schlumberger. He was gregarious and all about “networking,” which made him successful in procurement over the course of his career.

On April 21, 1990, Bruce married Kathleen/Kathy (Mutz) in Corpus Christi, TX. Although they entered the marriage with the best of intentions, it was less permanent than expected. Both went on to coparent their children, Meredith and Brent. Bruce introduced his children to Pensacola and the lifelong friends he considered family shortly after each of them were born. He kept the road between Houston and Pensacola hot, bringing his kids to Pensacola every summer, usually for the Fourth of July and Blue Angels Week. Many years, they came for Memorial Day and Labor Day also. In addition to visiting with their friends, Bruce, Meredith, and Brent also enjoyed places such as Jerry’s Drive-In, The Coffee Cup, the Naval Museum, and of course, the beach. Sometimes, they would bring other friends and introduce them to Pensacola Beach as well. Bruce was proud of his “hometown,” and he loved to share it with others.

In between trips to Pensacola Beach, Bruce spent many nights in his backyard pool, swimming with his kids, grilling, and listening to country music. He loved going to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo concerts, taking his kids on bike rides, and staying home for game nights filled with UNO, Monopoly, and Yahtzee. Coaching his kids’ baseball and basketball teams brought him joy, and he loved assisting with his son’s Boy Scouts and helping his kids build and race their cars in the Pinewood Derby. Bruce was proud to attend anything Meredith and Brent were doing, and if you knew Bruce, you know he always had his trusty video camera in hand to capture whatever Meredith and Brent were up to. He was all about giving his children as many life experiences as he could. One year, the trio helped decorate a float for the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Another year, they met Wynonna Judd at Caesars Palace in Lake Tahoe. They went snow skiing in Utah and Canada, and attended a variety of concerts along with many Astros, Rockets, and Aeros games, just to name a few... Bruce did his best to give his kids the best of what life had to offer as they grew up, but he also enjoyed every moment of experiencing it with them.

In November 2020, Bruce sold his house in Sugar Land, which is right outside of Houston, and he finally moved back to his beloved hometown of Pensacola, Florida. He loved bike riding, going to the beach, attending church and his men’s groups at Coastline Calvary Chapel and Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, watching the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, spending time with his friends, and fulfilling his lifelong goal of traveling the world to places such as Hawaii (multiple times) and Japan.

He is preceded in death by his parents as well as several aunts and uncles. His legacy will live on through his children, Meredith and Brent Smith, his siblings, Wes Smith and Wendy (Smith) Robinson, his brother by choice, Tom Royster, aunts Merrilee Gundersen and Marilyn Jackson, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Bruce’s remains will be scattered along his favorite stretch of Pensacola Beach with a gathering immediately following in Summer 2025.