G. Bruce Jenkins, 90, of Indiana, passed away on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, in Indiana, PA. He was born in Bradenville, PA, on March 13, 1932, to the late Robert L. and Rachel M. (Hill) Jenkins. He was a remarkable man—filled with generosity, a tireless work ethic, empathy, optimism, and integrity. He was a role model for us all, and the world is a better place because of him.
Following his graduation from Latrobe High School in 1950, Bruce attended St. Vincent College and the University of Pittsburgh Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1957. He moved to Indiana in 1959 and, after working for USF&G Insurance and teaching political science at IUP, took a position at Savings and Trust Bank, where he served for some 30 years as the Trust Officer and a Senior Vice President. In this position, he helped many people in the community with their life transitions.
Bruce was a man of great faith and a longtime member of Calvary Presbyterian Church, where he was deeply involved in the congregation in many ways, including choir, landscaping, fundraising, Sunday School, and Boy Scout Troop 29. He valued his church family and took great pride in the recent refurbishment of the church’s beautiful stained-glass dome. Growing up in Bradenville, Bruce attended the church across the street. As a teenager, he worked there as a custodian but spent much of his time playing the piano and memorizing hymns, enabling him to amaze his family by reciting hymn numbers and specific musical arrangements at 90.
In 2018, Bruce was nominated for Indiana’s Civic Leader of the Year Award. He belonged to the Indiana Kiwanis Club for 61 years, serving two terms—50 years apart—as president of that organization. He also was a volunteer and former treasurer of the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County and a former president of the Indiana Shakespeare Club.
Bruce married his childhood sweetheart, the former Jean Caldwell, in 1953; their marriage was filled with happiness and devotion. They traveled the world and inspired a passion for travel in their family. He and Jean expanded their skills in both the Indiana Square Dancing and Ballroom Dance clubs. They also volunteered together at Meals on Wheels for decades, and Bruce could still be found scrubbing the pots and pans there this past summer.
In addition, Bruce was a big sports fan, rooting for the Indiana Crimson Hawks in football and, especially, basketball; Pitt Panther football; and every professional team in Pittsburgh, particularly the Steelers. He loved having his sons and their families gather for holidays and was an enthusiastic host of family sing-alongs; he greatly enjoyed his role as lead counselor for the “Camp Jenkins” summer camp for grandchildren. He enjoyed regaling his family with stories of growing up in Bradenville during the Depression—reciting the vast array of neighborhood kids’ nicknames, playing ducky-on-the-can, and eating coffee soup and grease bread.
Bruce is survived by his sons, David B. (Suzanne Gesin) of Arlington, VA, Ronald P. (Tracy) of Galena, IL, and Eric W. (Julia Klein) of Reading, PA; five grandchildren: Adam, Benjamin (Meggie), Jeremy, Ethan, and Mallory; two great-grandchildren: Elsie and Theodore; his sister, Carol L. Jenkins of Williamsburg, VA; several nieces and nephews; and many friends.
Besides his parents, Bruce was preceded in death by his wife Jean on October 29, 2009, and three brothers: Robert, Lynn, and Lee Jenkins.
A service to honor the life of Bruce will be held at Calvary Presbyterian Church, Indiana at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Calvary Church (calvarychurchpa.com), the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, or the Indiana Kiwanis Club.
To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.bowswerminich.com
