Bruce Sech

Bruce N. Sech peacefully passed away on Nov. 27, 2024. He was a loving son, father, grandfather, brother, nephew, cousin, family member, and loyal friend to so many.

Bruce was a man of many and diverse talents. He earned degrees in both mechanical engineering (B.S.M.E.) and business administration (M.B.A.). Bruce dedicated his entire career (40+ years) to the automotive industry. He designed, and managed the development of, automotive electrical/electronic component parts and systems. Because of his creative and efficient product designs, he was awarded several patents in the early years of his career.

Beyond his automotive career, Bruce also pursued a variety of interests. He restored 60s vintage Corvettes, even earning the Duntov Award, an award for a perfect Corvette restoration. Moreover, Bruce had a strong interest in the arts. He loved music and played piano by ear, giving much enjoyment to family and friends alike. Bruce's keen eye for detail, along with excellent visualization and drawing skills, prompted him to avidly pursue oil painting in retirement. Friends and family members sometimes requested Bruce to create an oil painting from a special photo they had saved. He loved to do these “commissioned art works”, never accepting any monetary remuneration. His reward was the joy of knowing that he had created something special for someone he cared about.

Bruce was so much more than the sum of his achievements. As simply expressed by one of his dear friends recently, “I've never heard my husband speak about anyone as highly as Bruce. 'Bruce was so generous, always eager to help out. He was such a really good, good guy' “.

Over the past two years, Bruce struggled with a somewhat uncommon disease called fronto-temporal lobe dementia. Throughout these two years, Bruce spent a lot of time reminiscing with family and friends. He loved to hear family stories from long ago and recent tales of his children and grandchildren. He cherished his many longtime friendships, never tiring of looking at the pictures from days gone by. Despite the profound cognitive loss Bruce suffered from this disease, he maintained his social awareness and desire to connect with people until the very end. He would want everyone, family and friends alike, to know how much he valued his relationship with you.

Additional Information

To honor Bruce, a Celebration of Life is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Paw Paw, MI. A memorial Mass will begin at 11:00 am at St. Mary's Church in Paw Paw. Following the Mass, Betzler-Thompson Funeral Home in Paw Paw will be the site of a luncheon reception, honoring Bruce's life.