Bruce Anthony Conrad

Bruce Anthony Conrad, age 64, of Wilmington, DE, passed away on August 6, 2013, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). He was born in Cheverly, MD, to James and Roberta Conrad, also of Wilmington, DE. He was graduated from Westfield High School, Westfield, NJ, and studied trumpet performance at Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degree in fine arts from Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH. He was also a certified Schempp-Hirth technician in glider repair. He was licensed to fly both power planes and gliders, which he enjoyed in his spare time for many years. Bruce's professional life began in music as a professional trumpeter for the Osnabruck, Germany, opera house, but when he returned to the US, his first job was in glider repair in San Diego, CA. Eventually he came to Wilmington where his parents resided and found new challenges in real estate and hands-on housing rehabilitation. His computer skills led to subsequent employment as an independent contractor in computer technical support. He was a computer programmer for CIGNA, Black Oak and finally TEVA Pharmaceuticals, the world's leading manufacturer of generic drugs. He was noted for outstanding information technology support of the international firm's marketing team. Bruce was a member of the Soaring Society of America and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He regularly took part in competitive soaring events and was interested in history, classical music, investing and chess. He was fluent in German and a skilled craftsman in many respects. Friends and family enjoyed Bruce's wonderful sense of humor as well as his frank and forthright manner. Both thoughtful and considerate, Bruce was well liked and respected by both professional colleagues and fellow glider pilots and crew members. He is survived by his parents, James and Roberta Conrad of Wilmington, DE; and his sisters, Charlotte Grant and her husband Roger of La Crosse, WI; Barbara Conrad of Glen Arm, MD; and Nancy Conrad of Cornelius, NC. He is also survived by his niece, Julia Nolan and her husband, Brett, of Cincinnati, OH; his nephew Aaron Grant and his wife Anne Koss of Chicago, IL; a great-niece, Estella Nolan, and 2 great-nephews, Oliver Grant and Weston Nolan. The memorial service will be private. Friends and family may send condolences to www.chandlerfuneralhome.com. Those wishing to make donations in Bruce's memory are encouraged to consider the following organizations that work with ALS: ALS Hope Foundation http://www.alshopefoundation.org/; ALS Association http://www.alsa.org/; or Muscular Dystropyhy Association http://mda.org/.