Bruce Heling, age 75, passed away on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Green Bay after a courageous battle with ALS.  Bruce was born in Shawano, Wisconsin on October 8, 1948, son of the late Milan and Lorraine (Debban) Heling.  Bruce was baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bonduel in November of 1948.  He attended St. James Lutheran School in Shawano and was confirmed on April 6, 1963.  He graduated from Bonduel High School, class of 1967.  After high school he enlisted in the United States Army.  He attended basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, AIT training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and non-commissioned officer training at Fort Sill.  Bruce was an honor graduate at his AIT training.  He then became a non commissioned officer and went to Fort Benning, Georgia where he continued with special forces training.  From there he went to Fort Louis, Washington and was deployed to Vietnam.  Bruce was injured in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart and five other medals in 1968.  He went on R & R and spent his 20th birthday in Australia. He was honorably discharged for the Army in April 1969.      When Bruce came home from the military he helped on the family farm.  He built a house in 1974 and moved to Appleton where he lived for 48 years.  He worked as a machinist at Appleton Papers for over 41 years.  In his free time he enjoyed snowmobile and motorcycle racing, fishing on Lake Michigan, watching the Green Bay Packers and NASCAR, and deer hunting with his friends.  In 1990 he purchased a cottage in Door County that he remodeled himself and where he later moved to in his retirement.  Bruce could always be found in the shed or basement working on one project or another.  If it was broken, Bruce could fix it.  We always knew we could go to him for oil changes or anything we had wrong with our car.  Bruce was a man of few words but we always knew he loved us.  He attended every school or sporting event to support his daughters.  Bruce enjoyed taking his family camping, fishing, and on vacations to Disney World.  When he became sick he made sure everything was taken care of so we wouldn't have to do a thing.

Bruce is survived by: his special friend, Netta Lu Hanlin of Washington Island; two children, Rachel (Matt) Olson of Navarino and Cori Heling of Appleton; three grandchildren, Cody Heling, Milan Olson, and Makenzie Olson; two sisters, Sharon Follendorf of Columbus, Indiana and Sandy (Tim Schulz) Doughty of Embarrass; a brother, Kurt (Rhonda) Heling of DePere; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Mary Powell, brothers-in-law, Jeff Follendorf and Terry Doughty, and a niece, Jennalee Doughty.

A funeral service for Bruce will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bonduel with Rev. Timothy Shoup officiating.  Burial will be in the church cemetery following the service. Military Honors will be conducted by the Bonduel American Legion.  Visitation will be held at the church on Tuesday from 9:30am until the time of the service.

Special thanks to Patricia Heling for being his caregiver the last year of his life.