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On Tuesday October 4, 2022 Bruce Thomas Zemlin peacefully passed away surrounded by his loving wife of 60 years and his four children. Bruce, a Minneapolis native, was 82 years old.

Bruce grew up in the southwest suburbs of Minneapolis attending both Minneapolis Southwest and Eden Prairie high schools. He left high school early to attend Hamline University where he studied Physics and Math, and was a member of the football team and Phi Delta/Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Bruce was a strong supporter of Hamline, where he met his wife. Two of his children and two of his grandchildren also graduated from Hamline.

Bruce had a long career at Control Data Corporation working on operating systems, compilers, and networking systems. After Control Data, Bruce worked at Guidant and Medtronic leading software quality assurance in the pacemaker divisions of each company.

Bruce was one of the front-line pioneers of the tech industry. The code and projects he worked on went into space, defended our country, flew our planes, facilitated communications, and extended people's lives. A life-long learner, his engineering brain was always looking for the most efficient ways to get things done. One of his favorite sayings was, “Give me a lever big enough and I can move the earth.”

Bruce was a lover of the outdoors and camping. He spent much time in northern Minnesota and the Boundary Waters with his wife, friends, and family. He would often be found in his Grumman canoe, even fitting his family of six and a dog in that canoe. He took that love of camping to his love of Scouting. Bruce was the Cub Master at Bel Air Elementary in New Brighton for many years, often closing his pack meetings with his rendition of the Swedish Bird Song.

The biggest legacy Bruce leaves us is his family. He was always a husband and father first - always present at the events of his children and grandchildren.

Bruce is preceded by his mother and brother and is survived by his wife, four children and five grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held November 12, 2022 at Faith Lutheran Church, 11115 Hanson Blvd. NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 with 10 a.m. Visitation and 11 a.m. Memorial Service. Memorials preferred to Opportunity Partners, an organization his mother helped found.

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