Bruce Canafax, age 71, passed away peacefully on April 2, 2025 and joined his heavenly father in his eternal home. Born on December 3, 1953 in Wichita Falls, Bruce was the youngest of Jearl and Mozelle Canafax’s three children and graduated from SH Rider High School in 1972. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Music from Midwestern State University in 1978 and his Master of Music from the University of North Texas in 1983.
Music hooked Bruce at an early age which set him on a course that would become a blessing for so many that knew him. Bruce expertly played guitar in various bands and ensembles over the years spanning multiple genres, from rock and roll to classical and jazz. He dedicated his professional life to constant improvement and graciously shared his time and talent with the community.
Bruce met the love of his life, Faye, in college and not long after both graduated, they wed on May 5, 1979. The young couple spent the first decade of their lives together in the Metroplex before returning to Wichita Falls when their family grew to four with the births of their two sons, Joshua and Zachary. Bruce then began to teach guitar lessons both at McCarty Music and his home studio. This next decade he continued honing his craft studying many varieties of guitar with an emphasis on classical. When he didn’t have a guitar in his hands, he filled his days raising his family with his bride and becoming an all-around master craftsman building their family home with its many renovation projects with the help of his father and father-in-law.
In 1998, Bruce received a call from Rider High School about an opportunity to begin a brand-new guitar program. For the next twenty years he faithfully built and stewarded the guitar and music theory program and was a positive influence on hundreds, if not thousands of students who graced his classroom and the halls of Rider. Bruce formally retired from his post in 2018 and stayed connected as the baton passed, always willing to lend a hand.
Bruce had a passion and zeal for life like no other. His creative capacity shined through everything he set his mind to in his hobbies outside of music including woodworking, building, writing, drawing, and photography. His love for his family was evident through the care and compassion he held for his wife, two sons and daughters-in-law and six grandchildren who knew him best simply as D-Dad. In the final years of his life, he most enjoyed recording in his studio, reading and traveling with his wife, working side by side with his son Zac and spending any chance he could loving on his grandkids.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 45 years, Faye, of Wichita Falls; sister, Carolyn Elmore and her husband Phil of Gainesville; sister-in-law, Diane Canafax of Wichita Falls; step-sister, Jenny Wall and her husband James of Lubbock; son, Joshua Canafax and his wife Jordan of Colorado Springs and their four children, Owen, Finley, Hannah and Hayes; and son, Zachary Canafax and his wife Jenna of Wichita Falls and their two children, Elliott and Miles; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jearl and Mozelle; his step-mother, Beryl and her two sons, Donny and Butch; and his brother, Allen Canafax.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Wichita Falls with a celebration reception to follow. Arrangements are under the direction of Owens & Brumley Funeral Home in Wichita Falls.
Memorials may be sent to Owens & Brumley Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the WFISD Foundation (wfisd.net) or Hospice of Wichita Falls (howf.org).
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.owensandbrumley.com
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