Col. Bruce Gibson Seeber, 93, of West Monroe, LA, passed away quietly on August 31, 2026.

He was raised in Illinois, where he was a great farm hand and an outstanding athlete. He joined the Air Force in 1952 and trained as a fighter pilot. Along the way, he was stationed at England AFB in Alexandria, LA, where he met Jane Wallace. They were married for almost sixty years until her passing.

Bruce greatly enjoyed and excelled at flying fighter jets. In 1964, he was assigned to Japan to fly combat missions over Vietnam. On October 5, 1965 (on about his 50th mission), the F-105 he was piloting was hit by enemy ground fire and shot down. He was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam until February 12, 1973.

Bruce returned home to a hero’s welcome but quickly settled into his preferred quiet life. After retiring from the military, he worked eight years as Plant Manager for Shield Pack in West Monroe. Upon his second retirement, he loved spending time at his hobby of creating stained glass as well as working in his yard and tending to the grounds of McGuire Methodist Church. Bruce was a regular fix-it man and caretaker both at his home and at his Church where he was a devoted member of the Mason Sunday School Class for decades. A lover of dogs, he generally had at least one large stray living with him at any time.

Bruce was a generous man who enjoyed helping others. A humble man of high integrity, he didn’t speak much, but when he did, everyone eagerly listened.

Bruce was preceded in death by his wife, Jane; and his siblings, Rev. Everett Seeber, Jennie Good, Mary Robinson and Daphne Staley.

He is survived by his two daughters, Suzy Seeber and Sally (Bill) McLaughlin; two grandsons, William McLaughlin and Kyle (Erin) McLaughlin; and a very special great-granddaughter, Aisling McLaughlin.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Gifts in memory can be made to McGuire Methodist Church (2075 Arkansas Road, West Monroe, LA 71291) or to the charity of your choice.