Bruce Allan Gray

Bruce Allan Gray was born on October 13, 1936 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, and passed away on February 25, 2026. He spent his childhood in Sauk Centre where he graduated from high school in 1954. He excelled in sports at school, especially track and basketball. Bruce and his father shared a love of circuses and stamp collecting. After high school, Bruce enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and served for four years at the base in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. It was while he was in the Coast Guard that Bruce met his wife of 67 years, Susanne LeClair. They eloped on December 14, 1956.

Bruce and Sue moved to St. Peter, Minnesota in 1957 where Bruce attended Gustavus Adolphus College, and they raised their two daughters, Kim and Kristen. After graduation, Bruce worked as the first full-time social worker at the St. Peter Security Hospital while also pursuing a master’s degree in counseling at Mankato State University. Bruce was recruited to work at Gustavus as an Admissions counselor in 1963 with a special emphasis on recruiting black students from the southern states, as well as Chicago and Detroit. Later Bruce was asked to serve as Director of Financial Aid, Dean of Students, and lastly as a Senior Development Officer. Bruce researched and wrote Black and Bold, a history of African-American students at Gustavus Adolphus College. For Bruce, being Dean of Students, and working with students on the sometimes difficult questions of life, was his favorite assignment at Gustavus. Despite announcing his plans to retire more than once, Bruce was reluctant to leave the college. He retired in 2008 after 45 years of employment. Bruce and Sue received the Greater Gustavus Award in 2013 for their faithful service to the college.

Bruce believed in giving back to the community and served on numerous boards, including St. Peter and Minnesota State School Board, St. Peter Community Hospital Commission, Mayo Clinic’s Mankato Health Care Foundation, Dollars For Scholars National Advisory Board, Blandon Foundation’s St. Peter Leadership in ethnically diverse communities, and more.

Bruce loved to sing; church choir, men’s choir, barbershop quartets, and barbershop chorus. He sang in 5 quartets and 3 choruses, performing around the midwest, competing and winning at International competition multiple times. His love of basketball moved from playing the game, where he was described by his hometown newspaper as “scrappy and quick,” to refereeing for high school and college games for 18 years. Bruce said, “Funny, we never made a bad call, but there were those who thought we did.” He also became an avid golfer with 3 hole-in-one trophies to prove his ability, or really good luck depending on who you asked. Bruce’s favorite hobby was cheering on the Golden Gusties through every season of his life and across all sports, football and basketball were especially important to him.

Bruce loved to read a good political thriller or mystery, and after the loss of his sight, learned to appreciate audiobooks thanks to the Minnesota Services for the Blind. He and Sue attend theatre productions of all kinds whenever they could. He was thrilled to have been on stage for MSU’s production of The Music Man with Magic as the quartet. Dogs and horses were also special to Bruce. He spent untold hours grooming the family dogs to professional perfection.

Bruce lived out his values. He believed in giving back to the community through giving of both his time and resources. Bruce referred to First Lutheran Church as the heart of his life and community. He was a lifelong learner and ever curious about the world and the people around him. He and Sue traveled to 16 countries and all 50 states. Bruce was proud to be the only person to attend every Gustavus Nobel Conference from 1965 to 2025. And despite many health challenges, he had a positive spirit.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents; Harold and Ella Gray, and step-father Matthew Bendel, and Susanne LeClair, his beloved wife of 67 years. Bruce is survived by his daughters Kim (Steve) Alinder, and Kristen (David DeBlock) Gray; granddaughters Emily (Stephen) Flynn and Laura (Andy) McGuire; great grandchildren Sebastian, Miranda, Jameson and Charlotte Grayce; sister Joy Sanderson, and sister-in-law Jane Johnson.

Celebration of Life will be held at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter at a future time, with the inurnment of ashes at the Gustavus columbarium at that time. Donations may be made to the First Lutheran Church of St. Peter, or the Bruce and Sue Gray Diversity Scholarship at Gustavus Adolphus College.