Bruce Gard

Bruce A. Gard, 67, Wildwood, MO, formerly Wahpeton, ND, passed away Sunday, January 25, 2015, in Scottsdale, AZ. The Funeral Service will be Monday, Feb. 2, 1:00 PM, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Wahpeton. Visitation will be Sunday, from 2 PM to 4 PM at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton, ND and one hour before the service at the church on Monday. Interment will be at Fairview Memorial Gardens, Wahpeton.
Bruce was born November, 5, 1947, in Grand Forks, ND, the son of Henry and Grace (Buck) Gard. He moved with his family to East Grand Forks, MN, where he graduated from High School. Bruce then served in the US Army, serving in Vietnam. He later served in the National Guard for many years. Bruce graduated from NDSCS in Wahpeton and Colorado State University in Printing Management. He taught college at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs before he accepted employment at NDSCS in 1981 as a department chair. In 1991, Bruce and his wife Jeanna and her two children moved to St. Louis, MO, where he was the Executive Director of the Graphic Arts Institute. In 1998 he left education and went to work for the production printing department at Ambassador Envelope Company. He remained at that position until accepting a position as the plant manager for Skinner Kennedy and Dalton Press and then worked for the Pelcher Family until 2006 when he became an instructor for Graphic Production, where he remained until his retirement.

Bruce also was employed by the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation as an evaluation team leader, where he traveled all over the country accrediting printing programs for high schools and colleges. Bruce served on the National Standards Committee for printing which created the Master Printers requirements for printers to become a Master Printer.

Bruce served on the Board of Directors for Printing Industries of St. Louis, the Associations of Young Printing Executives, and the Litho Club of St. Louis. He was a past Commander of the Ballwin VFW Club, First Vice Commander of the American Legion Club in Grand Forks, ND, and a past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus in Grand Forks. He was also very proud to have published his book "A Fear of Dying"; using his pen name, Brewster MaCoy.

Bruce is survived by his loving wife, Jeanna Gard; four children: Kysa (Kale) Rasmussen, Sidney, MT; Kileigh (Jake) Maki, Moorhead, MN; Nick (Emily) Gard, Fargo, ND; Caleb (Amanda Felts) Gard, West Fargo, ND; two step children: Ryan (Cora) Allard, Fargo, ND; Alicia (Jason) Kirkeby, Fargo; fifteen grandchildren; his brother James (Avis) Gard, Pennington, MN; his sister, Mary (Keith) Benson, Crystal Lake, Ill.

He was preceded in death by his parents.