Michael Bruce Willis, 72, a Northland resident of Kansas City, MO and proud Vietnam Veteran, passed away peacefully January 24, 2020, at home surrounded by his family. He was born December 14, 1947 in Kansas City to Robert and Marie Faye (Montavon) Willis.
Bruce graduated from Platte City High School and attended Central Missouri State University. He spent the majority of his working career as a manager at GSA for the Federal Government. He had a passion for collecting and restoring classic cars, mostly Chevy’s. He also enjoying woodworking and was considered a master craftsman.
Survivors include his daughters; Kristie Byers (Mike) of Kansas City, MO, Stacie Orr (Mike) of Kansas City and his son, Michael R. Willis of Smithville; a sister, Vicki Lair of Kansas City; and his beloved granddaughter, Nina Berry.
Family and friends will gather to visit and celebrate Mike’s life from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 30, 2020 at the Meyers Northland Chapel, 401 Main in Parkville. A formal funeral procession will leave the funeral home at 10:15 a.m. on Friday for Leavenworth National Cemetery, where a committal service and military honors will be presented at 11:00 a.m. in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Smithville Sons of the American Legion Post #58.
May God bring strength and comfort. So sorry for your loss.
So sorry for the loss of your dad! He will be remembered by all who knew him. Our thoughts will be with all of you during this difficult time.
I spent 18 months in the army with Mike, in Vietnam and then Fort Hood Texas. We became really close, I will fondly remember are times together. I will miss him. My thoughts and prayers will be for his friends and family.
Michael, Kristie and Stacie:
We are so very sorry for the loss of your dad who was a very close friend to us! Our hearts are broken that he is gone!
We are sending our love, peace and strength for days ahead and know all of you are in our prayers and thoughts!
We will never forget Bruce’s humor, wit and his love to share his knowledge of every 60’s and 70’s song and the artist ever recorded! He knew them all and it was a game we all played frequently that he always won!
We will not forget his love for cars that both Wayne and he shared together, working many hours in each other’s garage late into the night, all the Hot Rod Car shows we went to, and the fun we all had at those crazy lake parties and of course all the adult beverages we shared together!
We are thankful to have been close friends for all these years and a part of his life and family and him ours since we were kids just 17 and 18 years old! He will always be in our hearts and we will cherish the great memories we all had together!
We will miss him dearly and he will never be forgotten!
Sending our love to all of you!
Linda & Wayne Douglas
Thinking all of you and knowing the strength you will need to go forward. Remembering all the great laughs we shared together for the last sixty years. What a time we had growing up. I will miss not being able to reach out to your Dad. I will miss your Dad very much