|
 It
is with great regret and sorrow that we must notify you of the death of our
Classmate and Class Vice-President, Bruce Shroyer, on April 18, 2019, in
Manhasset, NY, after being hospitalized for treatment for pneumonia that was
complicated by diabetes and the residual effects of a stroke he suffered in June
2018.
Bruce is survived
by his wife, Pat; son,
Kenneth and his wife Doreen; daughter, Kimberly Day and her husband Michael; and
grandchildren, Christopher Shroyer, Michaela Day, and Mackenzie Day.
Visitation will be
on Thursday, April 25, 2019, from
4:00 to 8:00 pm at
Fairchild Funeral Chapel, 1570 Northern Boulevard, Manhasset, NY 11030.
If you plan to attend Bruce Shroyer's
visitation on 25 April and funeral on 26 April, the family has arranged for
rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Roslyn (under the Group name Bruce Shroyer
Memorial) for those wishing to stay nearby. Shuttle service to the visitation
and funeral is provided. Please click the
link to book online
or call 516-626-3600.
A funeral Mass
will be celebrated on Friday, April 26, 2019, at
10:30 am at
St. Peter of Alcantara Church, 1327 Port Washington Boulevard, Port Washington,
NY 11050.
Interment will be
on Friday, April 26, 2019 at
12:15 pm at
Holy Rood Cemetery, 111 Old Country Road, Westbury, NY 11590.
Condolences may be
sent to Pat at 306 Aerie Court, Manhasset, NY 11030-4053.
In lieu of
flowers, donations may be made to Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New
York, 500 Fifth Avenue, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10110 or online at https://metrony.wish.org.
Well done, Bruce. Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\H-2 Bruce Shroyer.pdf
Obituaries:
In Memory of
John Bruce Shroyer
Thursday, April
18, 2019
Bruce was born in Clinton, Indiana on February 8, 1939. His family moved to
Memphis, TN where he was raised. Bruce received an appointment to the United
States Military Academy at West Point and graduated with the class in 1961.
While at West Point he met Pat Rieth, a native of Port Washington and they were
married in June following his graduation.
Bruce served in the Army with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg and 4th
Missile Command in Korea. Upon retiring from the service Bruce and Pat moved to
Port Washington, NY. Bruce worked in the brokerage divisions for RW Pressprich,
P. Andresen & Co., and Merrill Lynch before purchasing and directing Calibrated
Instruments Inc. for the next 27 years.
Bruce coached PYA football and lacrosse as well as founding GymNats, a
developmental and competitive gymnastics group in Port Washington. As a resident
of Sands Point, Bruce joined a small group who formed the Sands Point Civic
Association of which he was president for 4 years. Bruce served the Village of
Sands Point as a trustee and then Chairman of the Board of Zoning and Appeals
for 15 years.
Bruce was an active member of the West Point Association of Graduates and was
elected Vice President of his class. He was the Managing Director of
Reconciliation Plaza. A series of large granite monuments erected at the main
entrance to West Point to honor West Pointers from their sister class of 1861
and his class of 1961 who died in battle serving their country in the military.
Bruce is survived by Pat, his wife of 57 years, their son Kenneth and his wife
Doreen and their son Christopher who live in Port Washington; his daughter
Kimberly Shroyer Day and her husband Michael and their 2 daughters Michaela and
Mackenzie who reside in New Hampshire.
In Lieu of flowers a donation in Bruce’s memory may be made to Make-A-Wish…https://metrony.wish.org/
Assembly/Taps Memorial Article:
JOHN B.
SHROYER 1961
Cullum No. 23694-1961 | April 18, 2019 | Died in Manhasset, NY
Cremated. Interred in Cemetery of the Holy Rood, Westbury, NY
John Bruce Shroyer was a gentle giant of a man who, without reservation or
apology, loved God, his family, his friends, and West Point.
Bruce was born in Clinton, IN and moved with his parents, John and Pauline
Shroyer, and with his sister, Paula, to Memphis, TN when his father returned
from the Pacific after World War II. Bruce graduated in 1957 from Central High
School in Memphis and was voted by his classmates “Most Likely to Succeed.” He
was named to the National Honor Society, elected to the student council as a
class officer, lettered in basketball and football, captained the football team,
and was named to the All-Memphis and All-State football teams. Bruce was
recruited to play football by many colleges and had planned on accepting an
offer from Vanderbilt University. In late April of his senior year, his father
suggested that he consider West Point. Bruce agreed and immediately sent his
transcript and football resume to legendary Coach Earl “Red” Blaik. Coach Blaik
liked what he saw and secured an appointment for Bruce. Bruce then studied at
Braden’s Prep, passed the entrance exams, and joined the Class of ’61 on July 2,
1957.
Plebe year was a mostly successful year for Bruce. He made himself known on the
football field and did reasonably well with the books. Swimming, on the other
hand, was a problem. Bruce spent the year on the “rock squad.” It was not much
fun then, but later Bruce often entertained friends with hilarious tales from
the pool. At the beginning of yearling year, a roommate gave Bruce a copy of the
college edition of Mademoiselle magazine. Bruce wrote to one of the models in
the magazine, Patricia Rieth. After Pat checked Bruce out (she had a friend who
was dating football player Don Usry), they started dating, and at the time of
Bruce’s death they had been married for 57 years. Also in yearling year, Bruce
was able to arrange a personal meeting with the Reverend Billy Graham when
Graham was at West Point to speak at the Cadet Chapel. Bruce had been seriously
wondering if one could be a warrior and a Christian at the same time. After his
talk with Reverend Graham, Bruce continued at West Point.
In yearling year, Bruce struggled with chemistry and was on the verge of failing
when he made the hugely difficult decision to stop playing football, the game
that he loved, so that he would have a better chance to pass chemistry. With the
added study time, he was successful. The irony here is that, later in his
business life, Bruce owned and actively operated a company, Calibrated
Instruments, that worked exclusively in the chemical industry. In addition to
servicing clients throughout the world, he made many presentations at the
National Institute of Standards to Ph.D. staff members. Classmate Jim Stokes, a
Star Man who had taught physics at West Point, attended one of these
presentations and observed, “Bruce really knew his stuff.”
Bruce was commissioned Artillery and served with the 82nd Airborne at Fort
Bragg, NC and with the 1st Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment in Korea. He
left active duty in 1964 and served in the Army Reserve, 19th Special Forces on
Long Island, NY. Bruce worked for 25 years with high powered Wall Street
financial firms. Ken Langone of the firm R.W. Presprich wrote in his book I Love
Capitalism about Bruce and a co-worker, classmate Bob Potts, saying, “They were
cut from a certain cloth; young, smart, hungry as hell, and not to the manor
born.” Within two years of their hiring “sales went through the roof.” After his
years on Wall Street, Bruce bought Calibrated Instruments and serviced domestic
and international customers with gas dilution systems for industrial processes.
He successfully ran this business until his death. Pat, who also owns a real
estate company, has continued to run the business.
After graduation, Bruce and Pat were married and raised a beautiful family:
daughter Kimberly (husband Michael Day), son Kenneth (wife Doreen), and
grandchildren Michaela, Mackenzie and Christopher.
Bruce proved his commitment to West Point and his ’61 classmates in many ways.
In 1995, he compiled and published the “Class of 1961 Directory.” During the
previous few years, Bruce traveled around the country on business, looking up
and visiting classmates wherever he traveled. The result was the directory that
provided a valuable tool for his class to know about each other and to
communicate before the advent of the internet and other social media platforms.
When the Class of ’61 donated and dedicated Reconciliation Plaza at its 40th
reunion, Bruce stepped up and assumed responsibility for the management and
upkeep of the monuments and grounds, a commitment he took personally until his
death. In 2001, with General Norman Schwarzkopf as honorary host, Bruce
committed personal funds and organized a skeet shoot that raised money for the
construction of a building and the establishment of an endowment for the cadet
Skeet and Trap Team. The Superintendent personally commended Bruce for his
leadership. At the Class of ’61’s 50th reunion, Bruce selflessly accepted the
nomination and was elected class vice president.
Bruce had many hobbies, interests, and volunteer positions (too numerous to
recount here), but none of these took precedent over his love for God, his
family, and his friends. He loved life and always demonstrated care and respect
for everyone. In turn, Bruce was genuinely loved and respected and his passing
has left a void in many lives.
— Brendan Battle, classmate and Pat Shroyer, wife
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