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Bruce Kingery, 91, Rochester Hills, Mich., passed away at 5:29 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Crittenton Hospital in Rochester, Mich.
Bruce was a native of Indiana (New Albany), the son of the late Glenda Earl Kingery and Frances Emma Foster.
He was a longtime resident of Kokomo, where he began his music career playing saxophone in many of the bands and orchestras of the pre-World War II era. After the war, he again played in small bands in the North Central Indiana area until he became active in the United Auto Workers Union, Local 292, at Delco Radio/Delco Electronics Division of General Motors Corp. He was actively involved in the labor movement from 1950 until his retirement in 1985. During his active labor union years, he was first a bargaining committee chairman of UAW Local 292 in Kokomo and later an international representative of the education department, UAW International Union, at Solidarity House, the UAW’s headquarters, in Detroit.
As an international representative of the UAW’s educational department, he taught hundreds of classes and workshops on related labor education subjects throughout the United States and Canada. He attended Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., earning his B.A., M.A. and Doctor of Education degrees. Appointed by Gov. James Blanchard of Michigan to the board of control (now trustees) of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., in 1985, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by that university in 1993.
A World War II veteran, with more than 20 years of active and reserve duty, Kingery was retired from the USAR with the rank of captain, USAR. He was a Master Mason.
He was a member of the University of Michigan Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, a life member of Reserve Officers Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. He had been a chairman of the Labor/Business/Industry Advisory Panel of the Michigan Council of the Arts.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Margaret (DeShon) Kingery; their children, Mary Frances Donovan, David Bruce Kingery, Deborah Rose Kingery, and Melody (Edward) Suvada; five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren, all in Michigan.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ellers Mortuary Webster Street Chapel, 3400 S. Webster St., with the Rev. Harold Williams officiating. Entombment will follow in Sunset Memory Gardens Cemetery with military honors by the Kokomo V.F.W. Military Rites Team and the U.S. Army. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the mortuary, with a Masonic service at 7:30 p.m.
You are invited to read Bruce’s obituary at www.ellersmortuary.com, where you may sign the guestbook, share a personal message, or order flowers for the family.
