Bruce Paul Schwering

Bruce Paul Schwering, 78, died on June 6, 2025, at Northridge Village in Ames. The son of Paul and Evelyn "Jeri" Schwering, Bruce was born on October 3, 1946, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He was raised with his sister Linda on his family's farm near Duncombe, Iowa and from an early age worked hard on the farm to help support his family, even learning how to drive a tractor at age five. He attended a one-room rural school until the 7th grade, when he experienced the culture shock of transferring to South Junior High in Fort Dodge. He graduated from St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge in 1964.
Bruce was able to be the first in his family to go to college through an Army ROTC scholarship. In 1968, he graduated from Creighton University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and passed the CPA exam on his first attempt.
Bruce served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971 as a Second Lieutenant with the 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at a Nike Hercules missile site in Okinawa, Japan. Before departing for Okinawa, he married MaryAnn Cahill on June 7, 1969, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fort Dodge.
While still at Creighton, Bruce was recruited to join Arthur Andersen, which at the time was one of the Big 8 accounting firms. During his tenure with Arthur Andersen, he worked in Omaha, Nebraska, and Dallas, Texas. In 1982, while still in Dallas, he had the gumption to leave the financial security of corporate accounting and start his own CPA firm in Nevada, Iowa, achieving his dream of owning his own business. Due in no small part to his work ethic and his inability to meet a stranger, he built a successful firm with many business and individual clients throughout central Iowa.
One of Bruce's very first business clients was Beacon Microcenter in Ames, which was then the local Apple Computer retailer. After purchasing his first business computer from Beacon, an Apple IIe, he became a self-taught expert on VisiCalc, which was the first accounting spreadsheet software. He then established computer-based accounting practices for a number of businesses in Ames and Nevada.
In 1991, Bruce sold his CPA firm and joined MBS Genetics, Inc. as its Chief Financial Officer and was subsequently named President. He retired from MBS in 2011. He had a remarkable loyalty to his employees and was rightfully proud of MBS's success under his leadership. His family still encounters current and former employees of MBS who recall how much they appreciated working for and with Bruce.
Bruce enjoyed playing golf, and famously spent a ridiculous amount of time searching for his ball after his first hole in one. He tapped his creative side in creating pieces of stained glass art for friends and family. He was also known to break into song in his deep baritone, often to punctuate a joke or a story. Despite his initial reluctance to taking lessons, he discovered his love for and phenomenal skills at ballroom dance.
Bruce loved traveling with family and friends, and liked the Big Island of Hawaii so much he bought a condo there. He also had a love of Paris, and was able to enjoy multiple trips to the city throughout his life. He had such a seemingly innate ability to navigate the city (despite his lack of fluency in French) that his family often thought he had been a Parisian in a previous life.
In 2014, Bruce was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He participated in the Parkinson's Disease Program at On With Life in Ankeny. Being impressed by his experience and always wanting to give back, he served as the honorary co-chair for On With Life's recognition and fundraising event in 2016. He also participated in and enjoyed the music and boxing programs at the Alternative Medicine & Music for Parkinson's Disease Lab at Iowa State University. His family would also like to thank the compassionate care he received from Northridge Village, Suncrest Hospice, and Dr. David Moore at McFarland Clinic in Ames.
Bruce was a kind and generous man who loved his family and friends. He is survived by his wife, MaryAnn Schwering of Ames, son Tim (Sarah) Schwering of Spokane, Washington, daughter Amy (Doug) Moore of Ames, four grandchildren, and his sister Linda Sackfield of Yuma, Arizona. He was predeceased by his parents.
A party in honor of Bruce's remarkable life will be held on August 7, 2025, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd, Ames, IA 50011. Bruce was a born storyteller and often the life of the party, so guests should come prepared to hear and share their best Bruce stories, and celebrate his life with those he loved most.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Bruce's honor to the AMPP Program at Iowa State University online at https://isuf.my.site.com/portal/s/give by designating the Parkinson's Disease Research Fund in Kinesiology - Health and Human Sciences, or via mail to Iowa State University, 534 Wallace Rd, Ames, IA 50011. Please put "Parkinson's" in the memo line.