Bruce Joseph Wetsch was born February 12, 1942 in Glendive, Montana. He served in the Montana Army National Guard as a tank driver and First Sergeant. He put himself through junior college in North Dakota working as a brakeman on the Northern Pacific Railroad. Beginning in 1965, he began pursuing his undergraduate while simultaneously starting work for Mercantile Stores in Colorado. Initially hired as a stock boy, he ultimately rose to the assistant to the Vice President of Operations in the corporate office. He graduated with a BS in Business from the University of Cincinnati, where he raised his family. After 25 years with Mercantile, he left to pursue his own business as owner and president of Motorworks, a franchise in Cincinnati, Ohio. Later he was a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch in Albuquerque, New Mexico for ten years.

He was a strong, tenacious, stubborn and competitive man who could not be tamed. Everything he did in life was big. Big successes and some disappointments. In his heyday, he was an avid marathoner, mountain climber, health food nut, skier, world traveler and youth soccer coach for many years. He is remembered for the extraordinary love and absolute devotion he had for his family, his loyalty to his Cincinnati Bengals since their inception in 1968, and his fervor for all things political.

Bruce passed away at his home in Fernandina Beach, Florida at age 75 on Tuesday September 26th, 2017.

Bruce is preceded in death by his parents, Christian and Veronica (Geiger) Wetsch; nephews Brendan and Quinn Maloney; sister in law Pamela Eubank Appleton. Bruce is survived by his devoted wife of 47 years, Judith (Appleton); his two beloved daughters: Nicole Horne (Nathan); Michelle Cheek (Jeffrey), both of Atlanta, GA; his four grandchildren: Lucy, Owen, Brooks and Ansley; his three siblings: Janice Smolinski, Neil Wetsch and Kristi Wetsch; his eight brothers and sisters in law; his twelve nieces and nephews; his 24 great nieces and nephews.

A private memorial service will be held on Friday, November 17th at Our Lady of Assumption in Atlanta, GA.