D. Bruce Wilson *65

Body

Donald Bruce Wilson died Aug. 28, 2004, in Las Cruces, N.M. He was 70.

Raised in New Mexico, Bruce graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor's in chemical engineering in 1956. After three years of active duty in the Marine Corps, Bruce worked for Phillips Petroleum and then earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton. He taught at New Mexico State University for 23 years. Upon retirement he devoted himself to wide-ranging community service, including a bid for the state senate in 1988 and the U.S. Congress in 1992. A voracious reader, Bruce divided his reading time between thermodynamics, mysteries, and theology.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Aletta, their two sons and two daughters, and seven grandchildren.

1 Response

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Terry Thomas

1 Month Ago

Thanks, From a Former Student

Hi from the Philippines,

I always wondered about my favorite chemical engineering professor, Dr. D. B. Wilson. I graduated in December 1981. I never knew he was from New Mexico. I knew he attended Princeton and was in the USMC.

He inspired me to join the USMC reserves in the summer of 1980. I’ve been retired from Uncle Sam since May 18, 2024. We lived and worked at White Sands Missile Range, 25 miles from Las Cruces, three different times from 2008 to 2015. I never realized Dr. Wilson had passed on. Thanks for this writeup and making my day!

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