Obituary of Bruce D. Sprague

Bruce D. Sprague, 85, of Horseheads Bruce was born in Elmira, June 7, 1937, son of the late Leon Sr. and Emily McMillan Sprague, and passed away peacefully, Sunday, September 11, 2022, at his home in Horseheads. He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Donna Baker Sprague; his daughter and son-in-law, Jo Helen and Kelly Legare; his son and partner, Bruce Michael Sprague and Daniel Schaefer; his granddaughter, Emily Aileen Legare; his grandson, Aidan Ryan Legare; sister, Carolyn Gildea of Monet, MO; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Merle Jr. and Bonnie Baker of Odessa, NY and Ken and Diana Baker of Horseheads; much loved nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews; his golf buddies, Art, Gary, Ron, Roger and Sid; and his church family, along with many friends. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by brothers, Leon Jr. and Duane; his infant sister, Daralyn; sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and John Shook; sisters-in-law, Dorothy and Jeanette; brother-in-law, Richard Gildea; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Merle Sr. and Helen Baker; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Florence and Bill Tenny, Merial and Stewart Allen, Peg and Walt Kowalski, Gail and Harold Burdick; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Al Sr. and Jean Baker, and by several nieces and nephews. Bruce graduated from Elmira Free Academy in 1955 and worked construction before volunteering for the draft in November 1958. He spent two years on active duty in the Army and four years in the Army Reserves. He then worked at Westinghouse Electric nights and spent days in classes at Corning Community College where he earned a 2-year degree in Mechanical Design and Technology. At Westinghouse, he was a draftsman, payroll supervisor and accountant, returning to school nights at Elmira College to obtain his BS degree in Business Administration. He eventually retired from Imaging and Sensing Technology (IST) in 1998. Bruce played Little League Baseball as a boy and bowled and golfed most of his adult life. He was a wonderful husband and a hands-on father and grandfather. He coached Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball and attended all sports and other activities that his children and grandchildren participated in. He was particularly fond of helping with math homework. Bruce was an avid NY Yankees, NY Giants, and Syracuse Basketball fan, and enjoyed watching golf on TV. He was a fifty-five-year member of Westside United Methodist Church, where he and Donna were married on July 15, 1967, holding many church positions throughout the years. Bruce and Donna traveled extensively, first with their children and grandchildren, mostly east of the Mississippi, and then the two of them from coast to coast, eventually visiting all of the contiguous 48 states. Bruce was a kind, caring and patient man who was devoted to always supporting his family. He adored his grandchildren and was always available day or night. He also enjoyed hanging out with his granddog, Murphy. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, September 15, from 4-7 PM at the LYNCH FUNERAL HOME 318 WEST BROAD STREET HORSEHEADS, NY. Bruce's funeral will take place at LYNCH FUNERAL HOME on Friday, September 16 at 11 AM. Art Thompson, Lay Leader at Westside United Methodist Church, will officiate. Burial will occur immediately following the Funeral at Maple Grove Cemetery in Horseheads. Our family wishes to thank Care First for their wonderful help and support throughout this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Upstate New York Chapter, 1757 Central Avenue, Suite 102, Albany, NY 12205, or Westside United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 3494, Elmira, NY 14905.