John “Bruce” Majerus
John “Bruce” Majerus
Marion
John “Bruce” Majerus, 97, a long-time resident of Marion, died on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, at Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids. An evening visitation will be held from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion. A visitation will take place at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in Marion on Wednesday, Nov. 23, followed by a funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at Oak Shade Cemetery in Marion. Luncheon will be provided by the church.
Bruce, son of John and Marie (Huebner) Majerus, was born on July 1, 1925, in Aurora, Ill. He attended Bardwell School, Our Lady of Good Counsel and East Aurora High School. At an early age, he developed a great interest in figuring out how things work and tinkering with gadgets. One of his interests was amateur radio and he received his ham license (W0SIQ) in 1940 at the age of 16. He decided that his future was in engineering, so upon graduating from East High in 1943, he immediately enrolled in Washington University in St. Louis where he was able to complete two semesters before being drafted into the U.S. Army.
His tour of duty began January 1944, at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri. As the war in Europe progressed, and due to his knowledge of Morse code, he was transferred to the Signal Corps. He served in the 97th Signal Battalion in the European Theater of Operations and, after the war ended, in the Occupation Army. He was discharged with the rank of Tech Sergeant on April 27, 1946.
In the Fall of 1946, he entered Valparaiso University in Indiana and completed his sophomore year there before transferring to Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind., where he received his Bachelor of Science in engineering degree in 1949. Following graduation, he was employed at General Electric Co. as a test engineer until September of 1950, when he returned to Purdue for graduate studies. He received his master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1951. Upon graduation, he accepted a job at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His specialty was in airborne navigation. He moved to Cedar Rapids and started at Collins in January of 1952. That proved to be a life-changing experience. He found a collaborative environment at the company with plenty of opportunity to develop technology still in use in planes today. He was awarded several patents during his tenure and retired as Senior Staff Engineer in Advanced Technology in 1987.
In Cedar Rapids, he met Ruth Ryan and together they founded the Catholic singles group “The Heralders,” which resulted in many marriages amongst its members. Ruth and Bruce were married at St. Mary’s Church in Shenandoah, Iowa, on June 29, 1957. They lived in Cedar Rapids, until moving to Marion in 1958. Four children were born to this union, Laura, John, Anita and Paul.
Bruce had many interests including amateur radio, car maintenance, tinkering in his basement electrical lab, gardening and, after retirement, traveling the United States and abroad, and attending many Elderhostels with his wife. He was an active member of St. Joseph Church for over 60 years and served two terms on the Heritage Agency on Aging Task Force.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Ryan Majerus; his sons, John Majerus (Jodie) of Vancouver, Wash., and Paul Majerus (Marybeth) of Inverness, Ill.; his daughters, Laura Majerus (Howard Davidson) of San Mateo, Calif., and Anita Baum (Richard) of St. Paul, Minn.; his grandchildren, Ryan, Collin, Aaron, Samuel and Tess Majerus, Nicholas, Spencer, and Benjamin Majerus, Corwin Davidson and Andy and Alex Baum; his great-grandchildren, Joseph, Jacob, Daniel, Grace and Gabrielle Majerus; his sister, Carol Dillon of Wellington, Colo.; his sister-in-law, Nancy Majerus of Pataskala, Ohio; and the many nieces and nephews who called him “Uncle Bud.”
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Marie (Huebner) Majerus; and his brother, David Majerus.
Bruce will be lovingly remembered as a devoted husband, dedicated father and adored grandfather; his keen intelligence, unfailing generosity, sharp wit, diligent work ethic, playful nature, and laser-focused problem-solving abilities left his mark in varying degrees on all those whom he touched. His passing will leave a void in our days, but a lasting warmth in our hearts.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Community Health Free Clinic at www.communityhfc.org; or the charity of your choice.
Please share a memory of Bruce at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.