Melvin Bruce Selman (Bruce)
March 23 1928 – March 6, 2024
Bruce died at London Health Sciences Centre on Tuesday, March 6, 2024 a few weeks short of his 96th birthday with family by his side. He was a loving husband to Helen (deceased 2021) for 70 years, and a devoted father and Grandad. Bruce was born in Wilkesport ON, in the family home on March 23, 1928, the eldest child of Orval and Edith (Pretty) Selman. He was predeceased by his siblings Lauriss, Gwendolyn and Richard.
Bruce spent his youth in Alvinston followed by high school at Sarnia Collegiate, and received the Gordon Scholarship in English from Queens University, where he went on to graduate with a BSc in Chemical Engineering in 1951. Bruce spent his career with Dow Chemical, first in Toronto, then in Sarnia. He was elected a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada in 1981 and retired in 1986. He recently reached a milestone of spending as many years in retirement as he did working.
Bruce was a long-time member of Grace United Church and the Rotary Club of Sarnia where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow. He was involved in the Sarnia and District Children’s Treatment Centre (now Pathways Health Centre for Children), as well as the Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Services where he was board chair from 1996 to 1998.
Bruce enjoyed playing golf at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings, and curling a few nights a week as a member of the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club. He and Helen were part of a close-knit group of friends who gathered for gourmet meals, Grey Cup parties and New Year’s celebrations. They saw most of the country and a large part of the world on various road trips, bus tours and cruises. A favourite place was Helen’s family cottage on Lake Simcoe in Brechin, where he would putter around the yard and continuously freshen the paint on the clapboard siding. In his final years, he liked nothing better than family gatherings surrounded by his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, a number of whom have Bruce as part of their names. He was a kind and thoughtful man, able to do math in his head to the end.
Bruce will forever be in the hearts of his children, the late Jo Anne (Jim Carter), Janet (the late Peter Maaten), Judi (David Pattison) and John (Kelly Armstrong); grandchildren Janet (Kevin) and Ian (Angela) Carter, Sarah (Gavin) and Jacob Maaten, Emily (Elvis), Anne (Graham) and James Pattison, and Matthew (Madi) and Alycia Selman; and great grandchildren Cameron, Steven, Evelyn, Julianne, Maxwell, Samuel, Finley and Jack.
Special thanks to the staff at Longworth Retirement Home in London where Bruce resided the last six years, always looking forward to meals and the music. Thanks also to Dr. Julie Clarke for her kindness and support, and physiotherapist Kevin Lei whose weekly visits kept Dad limber. A private family burial of ashes will take place in Lakeview Cemetery, Sarnia. Sympathy may be expressed through donations to the Pathways Health Centre for Children or charity of choice (cheques mailed to the funeral home or made online, please). Arrangements entrusted to Smith Funeral Home, 1576 London Line, Sarnia.