Bruce Allen Rau

On Sunday, November 22, 2020 as the sun was setting, Bruce Allen Rau was received from the arms of his loving wife into the arms of our Lord. Bruce was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and a very special friend to many.

Bruce was 77 years old. He was born in Middletown, CT on April 12, 1943. He was raised in Durham, CT with his four sisters. He was a quality inspector for Allegheny Ludlum (formerly Wallingford Steel) in Wallingford, Connecticut from April 1964 until his retirement in July 1999. He also worked as the Animal Control Officer for the Town of Durham for over 40 years until he realized his longtime dream and retired to Tennessee in 2013. There were many other jobs too. Bruce was an ambitious person who seldom sat still. He would do anything and excelled at all he did. Bruce never stopped learning. He was very well read and kept up with current events. He was a cherished member of the Durham community. He was a lifetime member of both the Durham Volunteer Fire Department and the Durham Volunteer Ambulance Corp. He also volunteered at the Durham Fair in the maintenance department until he moved to Tennessee. He exhibited a generous, fun loving spirit and a sense of integrity that his daughters strive to live up to. He enjoyed cooking for his friends and the elderly and delivered many meals in Tupperware with his name printed in black sharpie. He also lent out his tools, marked with green paint and engraved with his name to anyone who needed them.

Bruce was preceded in death by his mother, Ethel, and his father, Lynwood. He is survived by his beloved wife Martha Ciola Rau, his loving children April Rau Leiler (Steven) and Daun Rau Kowalski (Eddy), his granddaughters Christine, Sadie, Elsie, Andie and his grandson Henry. Also surviving him are his sisters Ethel Kumnik (Larry), Kay Sherman, Pam Pruitt (Jeff Lambe) and Deborah Dickinson (Robert) and his nieces and nephews and beloved friends David and Bonnie Colberg. Services will be held at a later date this spring.

Donations in his memory can be made to Durham Animal Response Team c/o Department of Emergency Management, Town of Durham PO Box 428, Durham, CT 06422.