Bruce A. Yarber passed away on July 9, 2015 at the Holyoke Soldiers Home.
The beloved husband of Suzanne (Patterson) Yarber, he was 85 years of age. Born and raised in Holyoke, Bruce was the youngest of three children born to the late Clifford Yarber and Ida May (MacMonegle) Yarber.
Bruce attended Holyoke schools until the eighth grade, when he went to the Williston School for Boys in Easthampton. He graduated from Williston in 1948. Following Williston Bruce attended Brown University, graduating in 1952. Upon graduation he enlisted in the United States Army serving during the Korean War.
In 1954 he took a job with the Monarch Life Insurance Company, where he worked until his retirement in 1990. It was at Monarch where he met Suzanne, who he finally convinced to go on a date with him after several attempts. After a brief courtship they were married on June 8, 1957. They lived in Holyoke until 2011 when they moved to the Loomis House Retirement Community. They had two daughters to whom they were devoted. As a family they enjoyed summers on Cape Cod and eventually in South Bristol, Maine. Upon his retirement from Monarch, Bruce was the Vice President of Underwriting.
During his time in the insurance industry he belonged to many insurance industry associated groups. In addition to his family, Bruce was devoted to the hometown he loved, and worked tirelessly volunteering his time to its people. His civic involvement includes president of the Kiwanis Club of Holyoke; director of the Loomis Communities; chairman of Loomis Foundation Board; director of Visiting Nurse Services of Western Mass.; past member, advisory committee of Hospice Life Care and volunteer care giver, Hospice Life Care; patient representative, Holyoke Hospital; former corporator, Holyoke Hospital; church treasurer, Second Baptist Church; life deacon; treasurer, Friends of the Holyoke Public Library, member of the Wistariahurst Museum Association; past director of the Holyoke Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Bruce was the 1998 recipient of the Human Relations Award by the Holyoke Council for Human Understanding and the 2005 recipient of the William G. Dwight Distinguished Service to Holyoke Award.
Bruce was a man of great strength and kindness and will be deeply missed by his family. In addition to his parents, Bruce was predeceased by his siblings Janice and Brad. He is lovingly survived by his wife Suzanne, his children Alison J. Morgan and her husband Michael of Woburn and Elisabeth Y. Hoey of Holyoke, and his beloved grandchildren Christopher, John and Matthew Morgan and Conor, Frank and Lindsay Hoey.