Bruce C. Appleby, 88, died peacefully at 2:20 am, Monday, September 9, 2024, at his beautiful Makanda home, surrounded in his last days, as in life, by his dearest friends, both human and canine.
Our Boy first appeared on the scene on June 19, 1936, in the tiny farm town of Monticello, Iowa, the second child of Claude and Henrietta Augusta (Gerdes) Appleby. He frequently regaled friends with his childhood stories of growing up surrounded by endless corn fields and equally endless loving relatives. He is survived by his devoted life-companion/husband, Steven St. Julian, big brother Don (Phyllis) Appleby, his little sister, Elaine Shover, and 7 living nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother-in-law John Shover, and his beloved nephew and namesake Daniel Bruce Appleby.
Bruce’s life was a testament to his many, many passions. Most notable was his love of teaching. Bruce’s career as educator was long and varied, beginning at Marshalltown High, then moving on to becoming an SIU-C English professor,” where he quickly developed a reputation as the “Hip Prof” whose classes were always full to the brim.
Bruce’s academic popularity was largely due to his ability to always relate to his students on a personal level and his willingness to advise and advocate on their behalf whenever needed. But most of all, it was because the guy just LOVED teaching and consistently made his classes exciting, always using innovative techniques that moved with the times and looked to the future.
After retiring from SIU-C in 1994, Bruce continued his teaching overseas as a writing consultant for many foreign corporations wanting to do business with the United States. Boy, what stories he had from these adventures!
Post retiring as an educator, Bruce switched his focus to serving for causes most dear. For over 20 years he served on the State University Annuitants Association board as SIU representative and for several terms as SUAA President. For all fellow retirees of this system, HE is the guy you can thank for your annual guaranteed 3% pension raise!
Locally, Bruce also served on community boards, most notably that of The Neighborhood Co-Op and The SIU Rec Center representing seniors. Bruce’s “extra” time was spent on just having a good time, focusing on travel, consuming music, food, wine, sun-worshipping and appreciating nature, Always a great host, Bruce loved to entertain throughout his life and his home was the hub of good times, good food, laughter and marathon card games we will forever remember!
Bruce was always full of laughter, stories, and unforgettable moments—and we plan to celebrate him exactly the way he would’ve wanted: with great food, good drinks, and the people he loved.
PLEASE, JOIN US on Thursday June 19, 2025, what would’ve been Bruce’s 89th birthday, as we throw a FUN!-eral in his honor!
Location: Don Luna Mexican Restaurant (formerly the Old Arnold’s Market—Bruce’s favorite hangout!)
2141 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, IL
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Come raise a glass, enjoy his favorite Mexican food, share your best Bruce stories, and help us toast a man who made life more colorful for everyone he met. Remember this is a CELEBRATION so wear your brightest clothes!
Please share your own Bruce stories and tributes in the Condolences.
Check out Bruce’s life in photos – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMqvDgX4iC0&t=783s.
Finally, as Bruce was a strong supporter of all LGBTQ+ causes, we ask that any memoriam gifts be made out to The Rainbow Café.
This isn’t goodbye—it’s a celebration. Let’s make Bruce proud!
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Fred Oberg says
June 12, 2025 at 1:52 pmVale our dear Bruce, Our kind loving friend,
my mentor, my first maker of Pesto, your love of beautiful flowers in your home, outstanding art, collections of Thai silk everything!
Explorer, voyager, to exotic, no, to amazing destinations!
You sharing your knowledge and teaching so many cultures around the globe, our world traveller, yet,
you always were returning to your beautiful home, the “Malibu” beach house you built and created and Steven expanded on your big beautiful land in Makanda. The meadow with fireflies, the planting of so many flowers and trees, this place become a Sanctuary for many of us, so many good times there with you
and Steven.
Goodbye my renaissance man, dancing eyes, your laughter, your sharp wit, lol….sometimes too sharp and too quick!
So many orbits around the sun my darling friend, your’s a life well lived.
Soar well now among us my lovely… 🌟
You are always in my heart. I love you.
Fred
Fern :Logan says
June 12, 2025 at 1:55 pmMy favorite memory of Bruce is the love he had for his colorful wardrobe. Whenever I complimented him on his style and taste he would beam with pride and tell me about the wonderful seamstress he had found on Isla Mujeres in Mexico, who would make pants for him out of colorful decorative scarves and sarongs. He would also often invite me into his closet, to show off all of his brightly colored shirts and sweaters. His joy of vibrant color and pattern was a wonderful thing to behold.
Paulette Curkin says
June 12, 2025 at 1:57 pmSo many fond memories of Bruce…our trips to Provincetown and New England, his endlessly perfect costumes for every occasion (including Mary Kay), his unabashed tears over a wide variety of things that moved him, his love for his flowers and gardens, his always beating me to Gene’s at the Farmer’s Market to get the best bouquets, the care he took of Steven when he first moved home, but most of all, his love for his friends and generosity with his home. He (and Steven) created a safe and loving space for all of us who were lucky enough to share a life with him. I will miss him every day and cherish his memory. Until we meet again.
Laura Halliday says
June 12, 2025 at 2:00 pmI was one of the lucky few who grew up knowing Bruce in my teens and beyond thanks to my brother Fred and Steven, but what I would like to share first is Bruce’s huge impact on me as a professional mentor.
I never had Bruce as in instructor in English, though I was a major, because he had already nearly retired when I began my English BA. However, as my studies progressed and I began graduate school, Bruce first helped me with suggestions in my early teaching efforts as a graduate student and later on as a lecturer. Subsequently, he never failed to offer encouragement and support whenever I saw him socially. I felt “seen” and encouraged by him as an educator from the very beginning.
Bruce helped me apply the theory of teaching to actual practice—for example, what respecting student agency and plural identities actually could look like in the classroom. As my career progressed, he also helped me with suggestions on how to revise a required course to meet state guidelines which directly led to my full-time hire at SIU.
Finally, as my retirement began to approach and Bruce and I were both serving on the Student Recreation Advisory Board, we had many conversations about keeping my job in a deeply fiscally-challenged work environment, negotiating a changing workload, buying retirement years, and getting to the finish line of 30 years at SIU safely and well–and thanks to Bruce’s service and leadership in labor, today I still enjoy a 3% cost-of-living raise every year.
I have the life I have now in many ways thanks to all of these things and I am grateful, but Bruce I most of all miss your smile and gentle hugs. Sending you Love and looking forward to seeing you again dear friend–
Robert Patrick says
June 12, 2025 at 2:04 pmI will miss talking to Bruce about our flowers and the different foods we would fix over the years at our M&G’s on Saturday nights. There was not a restaurant that could compare with our great dinner parties. It was always interesting to see what colorful outfit Bruce would be wearing. I will always remember the long intakes that Bruce could take from his pipe. I called him Puff the Magic Dragon and he loved that, laughing so deep! Too many memories and laughs to share, but, I do find comfort that he is out there enjoying the universe. I do hope that they have you in charge of arranging the Gladiolus where you are. Until we meet again.
Bertie Patty
Linda Brookhart says
June 12, 2025 at 2:12 pmI think Bruce and I hit it off from the very day we met. Our encounter turned out to be a godsend for me! We were introduced due to him being president of the SIUC SUAA chapter. He attended both SUAA’s Annual Meetings and Fall Board of Directors (now House of Delegates) meetings. He always had what I called sensibility. He knew just what to say and how to project his opinions in a respectful manor. His life experiences helped guide me through some turbulent times.
First I must restate Bruce’s presidency for SUAA. He was the Chapter President of SUAA SIUC beginning sometime in 2008. Then he was chapter vice president in 2011 but became president again in 2014.
Bruce would have served as state SUAA president in 2014 – 2016. These terms started in June of each year. President could one two year term but due to the resignation of the previous president I believe Bruce served almost 3 years.
He did serve as the SUAA-SIUC Foundation chapter representative for several years after serving as president of SUAA.
During Bruce’s involvement with the SIUC chapter and SUAA state organization he was involved in several significant legislative issues affecting state universities and community colleges retirees and those currently working.
Bruce was very instrumental in these issues as he spoke before various groups on the SIUC campus – Faculty Senate, A/P Staff Council, Civil Service, etc.
Thus began our fights in 2009:
2010 – On April 14, 2010, Governor Patrick Quinn signed Senate Bill 1946 into law (P.A. 96-0889) creating a second tier of
benefits and retirement rules for new employees covered by SERS.
2011 – opposing SB 512 AM 002
1. It forces current public employees, including UI faculty, to pay more for the benefits which were part of their contract
when they were hired.
2. It reduces the benefits for future employees
3. It heightens the risk for faculty with regard to future pension benefits
4. It asks future employees to wait longer before being eligible for retirement 5. It reduces opportunities to recalculate
pension costs
2012 – opposing Illinois Constitutional Amendment 49
The Illinois Public Pension Amendment was on the November 6, 2012 ballot in Illinois as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where it was defeated. The measure would have required a three-fifths approval by the General Assembly, city councils, and school districts that wish to increase the pension benefits of their employees.
2013 – SB 001 – PA 98-0599 (explanation below) – This bill became the fight of their lives. As we went to court to fight to save their pensions.
2015 – PA 98-0599 was defeated.
Illinois has five state-funded retirement systems for public employees: the General Assembly Retirement System (GRS); the State Employees’ Retirement System of Illinois (SERS); the State Universities Retirement System (SURS); the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS); and the Judges Retirement System of Illinois (JRS). All provide traditional defined benefit plans and are subject to the pension protection clause of the state constitution. Public Act 98-599 (eff. June 1, 2014), amended the Illinois Pension Code (40 ILCS 5/1-101), reducing retirement annuity benefits for individuals who first became members of four of the systems before January 1, 2011. Members of those systems brought separate actions challenging the amendment under the Illinois Constitution’s pension protection clause. The actions were consolidated. The circuit court of Sangamon County found plaintiffs’ challenge meritorious, declared Public Act 98-599 unconstitutional in its entirety, and permanently enjoined its enforcement, rejecting a contention that the Act could be upheld, notwithstanding its violation of the pension protection clause, based on the state’s reserved sovereign powers. On direct appeal, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed, stating that although the financial challenges facing Illinois government are well known, “Obliging the government to control itself is what we are called upon to do today.” (summary from JUSTIA US Law)
Bruce always lit up my day as he would sometimes just contact me to say hello. Before he became president of SUAA we had already built a good working relationship and a friendship. Bruce’s tenure as president allowed our respect for each other to grow into a lasting attachment for which I will always be grateful. There was always joy in my heart when I saw Bruce. He was a true blessing.
Linda Brookhart
Tom Swope says
June 12, 2025 at 2:15 pmI’m sitting here watching football and thinking about Bruce.
Bruce hated football. Maybe hate is too strong a word, because, after all,
Bruce did attend college on a football scholarship. He thought that was the funniest thing to say to me, a football fan. But enough about the Detroit Lions.
Most of my closest interactions with Bruce were traveling in tropical climates. Bruce’s love of traveling was only exceeded by his love of the sun. The man was a GOLD medalist in tanning. Bruce and Barbara would lay in the sun for hours; I would last 15 minutes. Starting in 1991, for about 20 years the 3 of us traveled during xmas break in search of winter sunshine and warm beaches. The days were filled with long walking routines, breakfast routines, cooking routines and drinking routines. There was the tanning routine too but for me it was the sitting-in-the-shade-reading routine. Whatever else, it was fun being with a person who truly loved being in other countries among other cultures. Bruce was that guy.
So I’m going to miss that traveling, tanning, cooking, story-telling, huge-hearted man who I considered a friend: Bruce Appleby.
Tom Swope
H Glikin says
June 12, 2025 at 2:27 pmBruce was more than my friend.
He was my family, my confidant, my love and a part of my soul.
There are too many memories and laughs to pick just one.
All I know is my life will never be the same without him.
I love you more…
H
Janel Taylor says
June 12, 2025 at 2:33 pmBruce was simply my friend. I first saw B and his oversized German head ( he could never find a hat that fit) perched above the first Nehru jacket I’d ever seen. He was the most stylish man I’d ever met and warm, smart with opinion on everything, and always busy and learning new things. Oh those IBM professional suites with the flair of a handkerchief , his hand embroidering flowers on cotton work shirts, fabulous sweaters from his travels in Australia, custom made silk dress shirts from his six month teaching gig in mainland China to flowing custom sewn cotton pants from Isla Mujeres, the site of he & his Steven’s month long Christmas vacations in Mexico. He welcomed everyone into his home and to Isla Mujeres to lay in the sun, eat, talk, walk the island or pond, play cards and love each other.
Oh the stories of growing up in rural Iowa with loving, stern parents, deaf grandmother & granddad who could sign anger and love, his deaf grandmother welcoming Bruce and his sister and brother every day with open arms to lunch from the school across the street, and his uncle, maimed by alcohol & WWII injures and allowed to live on Bruce’s family’s landing being unable to sustain a job.
His family raised him to care. His uncle, a smoker, set fire to the landing one night. Bruce was alert first. The fire was extinguished and his uncle was still welcomed but could not smoke in the house. Bruce learned to care for people in stress, the power of love and the complexity of language for the rest of his life. He was simply wonderful.
I miss you so much B. You were my bestest big brother You’ve become stardust, a fitting end to a generous, shining man!
Janel Taylor
Carbondale, Illinois
Cass Van Der Meer says
June 12, 2025 at 2:36 pmWhen I first met him in about 1971something like that 71 several of his graduate students had a nickname for him, the decadent barbarian. He had a shaved head and he looked just like you, Brenner in the King and I.
Cass Van Der Meer
Sandy Kim says
June 12, 2025 at 2:39 pmLove you!
Sandy
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ~ Rachel Carson
Buck Smith says
June 12, 2025 at 9:21 pmI first ment Bruce when I was working at Bob and Janel’s remodeling their kitchen and bath. Bruce would come every morning after going to the rec. center to have coffee. After watching our progress he asked if we could do two room additions on his cool house.
The longer I worked on his house the more I appreciated and loved this fun loving man. I was always in awe of his knowledge and experiences in his many travels. I wish I could have known Bruce as long as so many of his friends.
Bruce had a mischievous side that tickled me most. He loved sneaking away so he could do something “bad”. I enjoyed being his watch out.
Beth and I will forever remember this wonderful man and his immense volume of love.
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