Bruce Dale Homfeldt Husband, Father, Grandfather, minister to many When Bruce departed, he left the world a little less protected, with a little less joy, and a little less comfort. Bruce was born in Elgin, Illinois in 1932, the second of six children. He grew up in Elgin, attending Elgin High where he graduated with honors and was a 5’7’, 155 pound starting guard on the 1950 Big-Eight championship football team. Spurning a scholarship to Yale, Bruce attended Ohio Wesleyan where he met his “Yellow Rose,” Elizabeth Petersen. Bruce and Liz were married in June of 1956 and headed West--Bruce using his newly minted driver’s license to drive Liz’s car across the country--to attend American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California. While at Berkeley, they celebrated the birth of their son Mike, who currently lives with his wife Sophia in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Later Bruce was called to serve at the First Baptist Church in Carlton, Oregon. Son Jeff, who currently lives in Puyallup with his wife Shellie, was born while they lived in Carlton. In 1963, Bruce was called to Kent to serve the first of two stints as Pastor of Kent First Baptist Church. Son Steve, who lives with his wife Jenny in Auburn, was born during the Kent years. A highlight of Bruce’s time in Kent was moving the church from downtown Kent to its current location on Kent’s East Hill. His service to the community included the presidency of Kent Rotary, school committees and hospital chaplaincy. In between his two pastorates at Kent First Baptist, Bruce served as a Far West Area Minister. Upon retiring, Bruce and Liz were founding residents at Wesley Lea Hill in Auburn; tended grandkids, travelled, and enjoyed both new and old friends. Bruce is remembered for the comfort he brought to many in life’s challenging times. One person stated that the five best words of comfort were: “Bruce is on the way!” He often bragged that “he never met a stranger” and never a truer thing can be said--apologies to all the poor waitresses who when politely introducing themselves were told, “I am Bruce, I will be your customer tonight!” Bruce is survived by his wife, three sons, their wives and six grandchildren--Stephanie, Tara, James, Randy, Luke, and Cade - who all were the joy of his life. Because of Covid-19, no public service is planned at this time. Instead, the family asks that donations can be made in Bruce’s name to the Kent Food Bank which he helped found in 1973.