Remembering John Bruce Brannon 2/19/33 – 11/21/18

St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 3 would like to honor and remember our Brother and Fire Captain, Mr. John Bruce Brannon; for his service to Fire District 3, the town of Lacombe, and to our Country as Marine Corporal John Bruce Brannon.

“Bruce”, as he was commonly known, lived an enjoyable, long, and productive life to 85 years old before peacefully passing at his home on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. Mr. Bruce was born in Greenville, S. Carolina on February 19, 1933 where he would later attend The University of S. Carolina, home of the Gamecocks—SEC Eastern Division. As a young man, Mr. Bruce joined the Marine Corp. and completed Boot Camp at Parris Island, SC.

Mr. Bruce rose to the rank of Corporal while in the Marine Corp. and proudly served State side protecting our Country during the Korean War. Interestingly, Mr. Bruce was an expert shooter on the rifle range and was awarded the National Defense Service Award for serving during War Time.

Mr. Bruce married his life-long spouse, the late Mrs. Jean Gilchrist Brannon. Mr. Bruce was the father of two girls, Tammy Dupuy and Paige Gunter, and a son, Scott Brannon. Eventually, Mr. Bruce became a Grandfather to [7] grandchildren and a Great Grandfather to [10] Great- Grandchildren.

While working in S. Carolina for GTE-Sylvania Light Co., Mr. Bruce was transferred to New Orleans in 1966. Mr. Bruce advanced in his career with the Sylvania Light Co. to become a regional manager in New Orleans. In 1995 Mr. Bruce retired and moved to Lacombe.

In 1997, two years after settling in Lacombe, Mr. Bruce joined our fire service and served for [20] years before slowing down. Mr. Bruce’s interest in the fire service was safety. Mr. Bruce was our Safety Officer during his many years of service. After 20 years of service, he was awarded a Lifetime Honorary Membership to our department, an award well-deserved. Mr. Bruce was a member of our department for 22 years prior to his passing. We commend Mr. Bruce for his interest in our safety and well-being on the fire ground. Mr. Bruce was an asset to our fire department and a good friend. In his honor, his F.D. I.D. number “305” is now retired.

In addition to his service in the Fire Dept., Mr. Bruce had been a long time member of St. Timothy’s Methodist Church and served in the choir as one of the bass voices.

We will always remember Mr. Bruce for his many years of service as a Firefighter, his sense of humor, his allegiance to the department, and to those he called his friends.

I would like to thank the Mandeville Fire Dept. Honor Guard as well as the Marine Corp. for honoring Mr. Bruce at his memorial service and burial.

Our prayers and condolences go out to the Brannon Family for the passing of Fire Captain and U.S. Marine Corporal, John Bruce Brannon.

Patrick Sicard Fire Chief