Bruce Dean Bayless

Bruce Dean Bayless, aged 72, died on Sunday, February 25, 2024, surrounded by his loving family at his home in League City, Texas. A reception to honor his memory will be held for friends in Texas, where he spent the majority of his adult life, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Forest Park East Funeral Home, located at 21620 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598.

Local Services: A visitation will be held on Sunday, March 3, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Pender, NE.  The funeral service will be held on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Pender, NE, officiated by Susan Urbanec.  Burial will follow a luncheon at Rose Hill Cemetery in Emerson, NE. Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh–Smith Funeral Home in Pender, NE

In lieu of floral tributes, the family graciously requests contributions to be directed to either the UTMB/MD Anderson Office of Development, Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0148 (designated for brain cancer research) or to Quantum Hospice.

Born on June 4, 1952, in Rushville, NE, Bruce Dean Bayless was the son of Maurice and Betty Bayless. He received the sacraments of baptism and confirmation at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Mirage Flats, NE. After graduating from high school, Bruce pursued higher education at Chadron State College and subsequently the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1975. On June

16, 1973, he married Carolyn Urbanec at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Pender, NE.

Throughout his life, Bruce achieved numerous distinctions, awards, and notable roles, including The Arrow of Light, Pro Deo et Patria, Eagle Scout, certified Professional Engineer, Ryūkyū Kempo Black Belt under Taika Seiyu Oyata, Rotating Equipment Director, membership in the Ethylene Producers Rotating Engine Advisor Committee, advisory roles with the Texas A&M Turbomachinery Symposium, service as an ELCA Assistant Minister, and participation in the church choir.

Left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife, Carolyn Bayless; his son, Brian (Fredria) Bayless; his daughter, Anna (Benjamin) George; grandchildren Jacob George, Sebastian Bayless, Julia George, Samuel Bayless, and Xander Bayless; siblings David and Dan Bayless, along with Phyllis Ditsch, Marilyn Person, and Linda Huckfeldt; brothers-in-law Paul, Richard, and Charles Urbanec; and sister-in-law Susan Urbanec.