Robin Valerie Bruce passed away in her home in Meyerland on May 5th, 2022, just shy of her 68th birthday. Throughout her life, Robin was celebrated as a generous and steadfast caregiver to people and animals in need who were often forgotten by others. She will be missed by her family, friends, and a broad community throughout Houston where she worked as a Neuro ICU nurse at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, and a dedicated volunteer for Caring Critters and The Gathering at multiple churches.
Robin was a beloved daughter of Valerie and Leonard Bruce, and one of five siblings. She attended high school at Duchesne Academy with her sister Christine, and as a teenager showed early interest in helping others by working as a volunteer for Crisis Hotline.
After high school, Robin earned a degree in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin and began work in the Neurosurgical ICU at St. Luke’s Hospital in Houston. Here she cared for countless patients for over 32 years and took an active role in teaching and community health fairs. In 2010, she became disabled and retired. Disability only opened new doors for Robin to give of her time and her heart, however, and she began volunteer work with Interfaith CarePartners, organizing and aiding during community events, and driving those who could not drive themselves. She dedicated over 20 years volunteering with Caring Critters, an animal assisted therapy program that provides opportunities for patient interaction with trained service animals. She served as a community nurse in her neighborhood, helping a neighbor suffering from blindness and another with AIDS. She also volunteered to assist disabled children. When her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Robin continued to serve in these ways in addition to becoming his primary caregiver. Robin’s spirit of service always led her to give to individuals others seemed to have forgotten. In 2017, Robin was chosen for the Dr. Ronald H. Sunderland Award for her exemplary service and caring spirit. Robin was a member of Saint Martin’s Episcopal Church for over 20 years.
Robin’s personality was – above all – generous, honest, and a little bit mischievous. She had a heart of gold, but “shot from the hip.” People always knew where they stood with Robin, and knew they were in the presence of someone who genuinely cared for them. When she took time to recharge, Robin enjoyed gardening, swimming, travel, and spending time with her beloved German shepherds.
Robin is preceded in death by her parents, Valerie and Leonard Bruce, and her older brother, Leonard “Lenny” Bruce Jr. She is survived by her sister Christine Bruce Hilliard and husband John of Santa Barbara, CA; Robert Bruce and wife Janice of Houston; Carter Bruce of Austin; and nieces and nephews JT Bruce, Amanda Miller, Lizzie McMeans, Lauren Gant, Christina Adams, Mitchell Bruce, and 7 grandnieces and nephews; beloved, lifelong friends Lori Butler and Stephanie Dalton Weir, as well as her three much-loved German Shepherds.
A memorial service will be held at two o'clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 18th of May, at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent Bagby Parish Hall.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions in Robin Bruce’s name may be made to the Houston SPCA here: https://houstonspca.org/ or they may be directed to St. Martin's Episcopal Church Building for Life, 717 Sage Rd, Houston, TX, 77056
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