Bruce Leonard Boyer, 62, passed peacefully into the loving arms of Jesus on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in the comforts of his home. Bruce was a loving and devoted family man, kind and gentle in ways unimaginable and patient to the very end. He will be greatly missed by many.

Bruce was born on July 22, 1954, to Jack and Lola (Anderson) Boyer in Lewiston. At the age of 4, he moved with his parents and sister, Terry, to a small ranch on Lyle Gulch near Lapwai and began cultivating his love of farming. Before Bruce had even turned 5, he was driving tractor and learning the value of a hard day's work.

Bruce attended school in Lapwai, graduating in 1972. While there, he proudly represented the Wildcats while participating in football, basketball and baseball. Following a long day of school and practice, you could find Bruce helping his mother at the family restaurant, Dairy Delight (now Donald's Diner). Bruce loved to tell stories of his purposely made lopsided, non-servable ice cream cones just so he could have a treat. When he wasn't at school or working, you could find him running amok with his best buddy, Dick Alfrey. Following his graduation from Lapwai High School, Bruce continued his education at Lewis Clark State College, where he received an associate's degree in Auto Mechanics in 1974.

A good man can only be made better with the love of great woman. On Jan. 10, 1976, Bruce married his one true love, Shirley Butler. Together they shared almost 41 years of happiness and created a home in the Gifford area, and were joined by their four children: Michael, Sarae, Lance and Bryce. Bruce was extremely proud of the family he created. The lessons he taught and the love he gave were effortless. He was a true family man.

Aside from his family, farming was Bruce's life passion. He worked his craft in the Gifford and Lenore areas for more than 40 years. The past few years he has been farming with Eugene Butler, whom he considered his brother. He loved the green fields of spring, the amber waves of early summer, and harvest at summer's end. Before heading for the fields in the morning, and for a brief period each afternoon, Bruce also wore the hat of a Culdesac School District bus driver, doing this for more than 20 years. The children who rode his bus became his own, and the lifelong friendships he created were invaluable. For a period of six to seven years, Bruce also enjoyed running his own business - American Hood Cleaning. Here, he employed and continued to mentor many young people from the Culdesac area.

At the time of his passing, Bruce was the longest standing member of the Nez Perce County Fair Board - proudly serving his community since 1993.

If you mixed Bruce with a group of boys and a baseball diamond, magic happened. When it came to coaching the sport, his talents and knowledge were immeasurable. He spent many hours at the Culdesac baseball field coaching his own children and members of the Culdesac Wolves high school teams, as well as Babe Ruth. In recent years, he enjoyed mentoring and watching his grandchildren learn to love the game. Bruce was also an avid golfer. We are sure he has already sunk that hole-in-one on Heaven's most glorious course.

His beautiful spirit will forever be cherished by those who survive him: his wife, Shirley, of Gifford; daughter Sarae of Lewiston; sons Michael (Andrea) of Lenore, Lance (Karen) of Lewiston and Bryce (Marissa) of Aurora, Colo.; parents Jack and Lola Boyer of Lapwai; and his sister Terry Whipple of Lewiston.

He will be greatly missed by his grandchildren Kailee, Preston, Taylor, Morgan and Olivia Boyer and his great-grandson Zaiden. He will also be greatly missed by Bryan Farrell and Moritz Richter, who considered Bruce a huge father figure in their lives.

A celebration of Bruce's life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Culdesac High School gymnasium. Please bring your favorite story or memory of Bruce to share. It can be written for someone to read, if you are unable to share in person.

Memorial donations may be made to the Bruce Boyer Fund at any Potlatch No. 1 Federal Credit Union.