Bruce H. Droessler, 79, of Maquoketa passed away on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at home from bile duct cancer, a rare cancer.

Bruce was born to Howard and Katherine “Kay” (Flogel) Droessler in Key West, Iowa, on April 16, 1945. He spent his childhood in LaMotte, Iowa, then moved to Bellevue, where he graduated from Marquette High School in 1964. There, he combined his talent for engineering with the mischievous energy he inherited from his father. In one notable incident, he combined his backpack, a cleverly assembled outfit, and various electronics and accessories to listen covertly, during class, to a World Series radio broadcast. In attempting to better hide his shenanigans from a nun walking by his desk, he inadvertently shook loose a cord from a radio jack, causing a loud outburst. Luckily for him, the nun could not pinpoint the source of the noise or the rascal who caused it — though she likely had her suspicions.

Building on his engineering prowess, Bruce graduated with an applied science and electronics engineering degree from DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago in 1966. He then moved to Florida, where he worked for IBM at Cape Kennedy as a launch technician for numerous Apollo missions, including the Apollo 11 flight that sent Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the moon. Bruce then worked briefly in New Jersey, where his daughters Tracy and DeeDee were born, before returning to Florida to write computer code for three decades for Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin). After retiring in 2002, Bruce returned to Iowa, where he married Deborah “Deb” Roach in 2005.

A lifelong volunteer, Bruce taught his daughters’ elementary school classes about computers, coached numerous youth softball teams, clerked for a Maquoketa state legislator, and for 17 years repaired home medical equipment to prepare it for resale at the Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities ReStore. In addition to taking adventures with his family, Bruce enjoyed genealogy, playing pickleball and golf, sharing the rhubarb that grew abundantly behind his home, and making sure visiting wild birds (and the neighbor’s dog) were well fed.

He is survived by his wife, Deb Droessler; daughters, Tracy (Matt) Larson of Gainesville, Fla,, and DeAnne “DeeDee” (Jon) Hinson of Venice, Fla.; stepdaughter, Sarah (Derek) Paulson of Dubuque, Iowa; stepson, Seth Roach of Davenport, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Elyse, Evelyn, and David Larson, all of Gainesville, Fla., and Claire, Audrey, Caleb, and Autumn Paulson, all of Dubuque; great-grandson, Luka Paulson-Siegert of Dubuque; sister, Shirley (Patrick) Cloos of Springbrook, Iowa; brother-in-law David Deppe of Bellevue, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews. His parents, Howard and Kay Droessler, and sister, June Deppe, preceded him in death.

Bruce’s final act of love and generosity was to donate his body for medical research.

A visitation will be held on June 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with a Memorial Mass to follow at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Maquoketa, Iowa.

Remembrances may be made through contributions to the Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities, Hospice of Jackson County, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Saint Joseph’s Church in Bellevue or the charity of your choice.

The Carson Celebration of Life Center, 318 W. Pleasant St., Maquoketa, is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.CarsonAndSon.com.