Obituary of Bruce John Haupt

Bruce John Haupt, aged 85, of Oxford, Florida passed away at home on May 5, 2020. 

 

He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 6, 1935, to Anna and Elmer Haupt and was raised in the township of Bethel Park. He attended Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia on a basketball scholarship and graduated in June of 1956. He married his college sweetheart, Helen Sweeny, on October 13 of the same year. He served for three years of active duty in the US Navy as a Supply Corps officer on the U.S.S. Floyd B. Parks and, from her decks, witnessed nuclear bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. 

 

 After completing his military service and returning to Pittsburgh with his wife and new baby, he was hired by IBM and remained with the corporation for the next 28 years, rising through the management ranks until retiring in 1988 after opening the corporation’s new robotics division in Boca Raton, Florida. 

 

He was a lifelong athlete who lettered in baseball and basketball in high school and college and maintained his passion for sports throughout his life, both as a player and a coach. In 2005, he was inducted into the Bethel Park High School Hall of Fame for basketball and baseball.

 

His energy and positivity flowed through everything he did. Not only was he an exemplary father and husband, he was also a person of strong faith who, over his lifetime, devoted a great deal of his time, talent, and resources to his church and Christian community.

 

He is survived by his loving wife of 20 years Cathy Haupt; sons Bruce Jr., and Doug; daughter Sandra Hughes; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. 

 

He is preceded in death by his first wife Helen Haupt; sisters Clarann Clingan and Gretchen Chamberlain; and brother Elmer Haupt. 

 

He will be inurned at the Boca Raton Municipal Mausoleum next to Helen Haupt in the Remembrance East Mausoleum. 

 

Bruce was especially proud to support his son Doug’s church and ministry; memorial donations can be made to Grace Family Fellowship church at this address:

 

Grace Family Fellowship, C/O Jim Browning, 2004 Woodhollow Cove, Virginia Beach, VA  23454.  Arrangements entrusted with HIERS-BAXLEY Funeral & Cremation Life Event Center, 352-775-7427.  Sentiments may be left online at www.hiers-baxley.com.

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