June Leona Bruce

Our mother, June Bruce, grew up in beautiful Saskatchewan, Canada, the daughter of Swedish immigrants Ole Hornfelt and Nan Norberg.

She told us of seeing airplanes flying over her father’s vast wheat fields and dreaming of big adventures. Determined to be a
“stewardess”, mom knew she needed two years of medical experience, so she earned her nursing degree and worked at a local hospital.  She applied to Grace Downs Air Career School, an airline preparatory school in New York City. Mom was accepted and began her big adventure in 1956, at only 22 years old. After graduation, she interviewed with several airlines and chose Eastern Air Lines, based in Miami, Florida. She loved working in the propeller planes of the 1950s era, like the Lockheed Constellation and “The Eastern Golden Falcon” DC-7B.

She caught the eye of our father, an Eastern pilot living in the same neighborhood. Our parents would laugh in later years, telling us how Dad and his friends would often stroll by where Mom and her roommates lived. By 1958, they were engaged. Mom told us she would sneak into the airplane lavatory to look at her engagement ring, not believing how lucky she was… a country girl from Canada, working her dream job, living in sunny Miami, and engaged to marry our handsome dad!  We suspect that the pilot from Texas, who made it to Miami via the USMC, thought the same thing, with our beautiful mom on his arm.

Edgar Bruce and June Hornfelt married, and soon after, Mom resigned from her beloved stewardess job to stay at home and raise her growing family.  She loved being home with us kids, and she was an amazing mother.  Dad’s airline career progressed, and the family moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia.  Mom and Dad built a wonderful life together, and for us four kids. We have so many memories of lake trips, beach adventures, camping, sports events, and, of course, air travel.  They were avid tennis players at the Smoke Rise Bath and Racquet Club, where mom unleashed her wicked southpaw swing.  Mom loved gardening over the years, and each of us has something in our yard from hers. She was always learning something new. Mom took up painting, pottery, making stained glass, sewing, knitting, and restoring antique furniture.

Our sweet mother was preceded in death by her husband, Edgar Bruce, in 2016.  She lived in the same house for 54 years until she moved to the Pinehurst area, living across the pond from her daughter Toni and son-in-law Bryan Smith. Mom and Dad were great parents to us four children, and they later enjoyed their seven grandchildren.  With their influence, our own families remain loving and close to this day.

June Bruce is survived by: Greg & Mary Bruce (daughters, Lane & Beth), Tracy Bruce & Mike Hardy (son Erik), Toni & Bryan Smith (daughters Sylvia & Ana), and Jason Bruce & Jennifer Reep (sons Dylan & Jonathan).

She was a member of the Lilburn congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.  We are comforted that Mom had a strong faith.  The family will travel to Texas this spring to bury mom’s ashes next to dad’s ashes, as she had wanted. How lucky we are for the love Ed and June found 68 years ago.

Online condolences can be made at PinesFunerals.com.

Powell Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Bruce family.