Bruce Coeling

With a life that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, Bruce Coeling faced whatever came his way. He was often working on one project or another around the house, racing dune buggies down the city streets near his home, or heading out onto the waters of Lake Michigan aboard his very own wooden boat. Bruce had a great sense of humor and could come up with the best pranks, yet he also enjoyed some down time in his chair from time to time. He came into his own during his sunset years, refocusing his life on what mattered most. Although Bruce will be missed, his family rejoices that he has been called to his eternal home.

The year 1945 is often remembered as the year the Allied Powers were victorious in the fight for the preservation of freedom in WWII. Countless young servicemen and women were returning stateside while the manufacturing industry was no longer focused on supporting the war effort. This same year was a year to remember in the family of Henry and Grace (Lotterman) Coelingh as they were pleased to welcome the birth of their son on March 25th. Born as the middle of three children in Zeeland, Michigan, Henry Bruce, although he always went by Bruce, was raised in the family home in Allendale alongside his two sisters. He was known to get into his fair share of mischief, and it was as a young boy that he began tinkering with things having learned basic building skills from his father. Bruce loved taking things apart just to see how they worked, which meant that his room always looked like some sort of bomb had exploded. He enjoyed motorcycles, both taking them apart and riding them, and he also developed a lifelong love for Ford. In fact, every car always had to be a Ford, and he was particularly fond of his Mustangs and later, Tauruses. For a time Bruce even did some racing out at Berlin Raceway. As a student he attended local schools including Coopersville High School.

After leaving high school Bruce worked in the warehouse for Spartan Stores for a time. From there he spent several years working here and there including working in his own auto body shop, working in a different shop, and running his own television repair business. To help make ends meet Bruce found work in maintenance at Clark Home, which he did for several years. Although he also had his own businesses during that time, his work at Clark Home always brought in a steady paycheck. He also found a unique niche there in building things for people. Bruce later expanded the business to include creating pieces for others when he started Grand Renovations in 1988.

A few years after leaving high school, Bruce spotted the young girl with whom he would create a family. While camping at Grand Haven, he noticed her wearing a Grand Valley sweatshirt, which gave him a reason to talk with her as he was from Allendale. She met his younger sister and parents that same day. The couple later married in February of 1970. The newlyweds soon began welcoming children and were blessed with three children over seven years. They raised their children in the family home in East Grand Rapids. Although he lived in the city, he was a country boy at heart as evidenced by the way he used a small farm tractor to plow his driveway and raced dune buggies down the city street. While his children were young the family enjoyed camping at several state parks around the state, and they also spent time at Silver Lake where Bruce could enjoy his dune buggies in their element. Cedar Point was another favorite family destination, and he was a roller coaster fanatic. As his children grew older their love for camping transformed into a love for boating when Bruce purchased a cabin cruiser. He always loved old wooden boats so he was thrilled to buy one of his own. Bruce’s marriage later ended in divorce, and it took him some time to get up on his feet again.

Throughout his life Bruce was a man of many interests. With a love for technology and electronics, he kept busy with projects like building a transmitter with extra parts and programming a computer. As technology grew Bruce always stayed on top of things. Around the house he commonly had a project going on, or at times he was lending a hand to help someone else. He loved to drive and was full of stories of driving long distances to visit with friends or family, but only for a few hours. Bruce also enjoyed his downtime, sitting in his chair while looking outside and smoking his pipe.

In 2002 Bruce suffered a health scare with his heart, which caused him to refocus and examine his priorities. As a result he began engaging a bit more, and he also began attending Fourth Reformed Church. Bruce was always there early just to listen to the music and was particularly fond of the singing. He didn’t shy away from talking about his faith as he openly shared with others when the opportunity presented itself, and he also spoke at Mel Trotter about some of the difficult times in his life.

There were so many things that made Bruce such a unique man. Because he was extremely laid back he was never one to get too stressed out, which also meant that he was not one for discipline when the kids were young. Bruce enjoyed casual conversation, but kept visits short, and although he was very friendly and social he never deeply engaged with others. He was always more comfortable in smaller groups. Although their father was more emotionally reserved, Bruce’s children always knew they were loved. He was punctual, which actually meant arriving very early most times, but Bruce was also the first one to leave a gathering, too. He never cared much about material possessions, but focused on caring for others and lending a helping hand when he could. Bruce had a great sense of humor and was well known for his creative practical jokes.

A man of faith, generosity, and compassion for others, Bruce Coeling will be deeply missed and warmly remembered.

Mr. H. Bruce Coeling, age 67 of Grand Rapids, was called home to God on June 8, 2012. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Grace Coelingh. Bruce is survived by his children Ken (Amy) Coeling, Michelle (Ian) Bowen, Molly Coeling; grandchildren Caleb and Zachary Coeling, Kyla and Jace Bowen; sisters and brothers-in-law Patricia (Garald) Gemmen, Kathleen (Neill Giese) Coelingh; nieces and nephews Gary (Sandi) Gemmen Jr, Patrick (Loriann) Gemmen, Heather Gemmen and Vashti (Carson Campe) Van Wyke. The funeral service for Bruce will be held on Monday, June 11 at 12 Noon at Fourth Reformed Church, 1226 Union NE. Friends may visit with his family on Sunday from 5-8 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Van Strien Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield NE. For those who wish, memorial contributions to Mel Trotter Mission are appreciated. To read more about Bruce’s life, to share a favorite memory or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com