Col USArmy Ret. Bruce A. Wilhelm

1955 - 2019

Col. Bruce A.
Wilhelm (Ret.)
Bruce Alan Wilhelm, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.), 64, of Swan Point, MD, and Great Mills, MD, passed away on Dec. 11, 2019, in his home in Swan Point, surrounded by his family after a 6-month battle against cancer.
Bruce will forever be in our hearts; loved and cherished and respected for the grace, bravery and integrity he showed through this debilitating ordeal.
He was born on July 17, 1955, in Baltimore, MD, to William James Wilhelm of Dun-dalk, MD, and the late Anna (Stoffa) Wilhelm.
He graduated from Dundalk High School in 1973 and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., in 1978 with a degree in aeronautical engineering and his initial helicopter qualifications. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
After completing Airborne School, the Officer's Basic Course and serving in the Transportation Corps supporting Special Operations, Bruce obtained his attack helicopter transition and went to Maintenance Test Pilot School and the Advanced Officers Course. During this period, he tested over 11 different types of aircraft and transitioned to Apache helicopters.
Bruce left active duty in 1986 with an honorable discharge as a Captain and relocated to Annapolis, MD, where he worked for AIRINC. In 1996, he accepted a position as a civilian with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and moved with his family to California, MD.
Bruce's last position was director, Industrial Business Operations for NAVAIR, which he held until the time of his death. In that role, he led the efforts of a multifunctional team of NAVAIR, Navy, and Joint Force employees to formulate plans and policy to implement overarching strategies affecting industrial operations, capability assessments, industrial source of repair decisions and depot-level posturing decisions.
Bruce continued his military service in the reserve components, 15 years in the Maryland National Guard and 6 years in a U.S. Army Reserve Unit in Richmond, VA, for a total of 30 years, retiring as a Colonel in 2008.
During his tours in the reserves, he traveled to Somalia and Afghanistan in support of military operations. He received 33 military awards during the course of his career, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Joint Command Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters.
He was recognized for his significant and long-term contributions in the promotion of Army Aviation by being presented the Silver Order of St. Michael Award by the Army Aviation Association of America.
Bruce loved music, spending time with Diana after they met in 2013, fishing with his family, and had been an avid member of the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Association.
Surviving in addition to his father are his wife, Diana L. Havenner, of Swan Point; two brothers, William "Billy" Wilhelm and Phillip J. Wilhelm (Bonnie), both of Machipongo, VA; his father-in-law, John "Jack" Havenner of Swan Point; a son, William H. Wilhelm of Rising Sun, MD; a daughter, Anna V. Wilhelm of Annapolis; and their mother, his prior spouse, Emily D. Harman of Staunton, VA; a stepdaughter, Brittani Croft (Dustin), and their children, Weston and Hayden, and a stepson John-Brooks "JB" Bowling, both in South Carolina; two nephews Alex Wilhelm (Emily) and John Wilhelm (Christina); three nieces, Ola Wilhelm, Yana Wilhelm and Victoria Wilhelm; as well as a large close-knit family of uncles, aunts and cousins, many of whom are members of the Surotchak and Stoffa families in Pennsylvania.
Service: Celebration of Life will be held at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 on Dec. 20, with a memorial gathering from 2-6 p.m. and prayers with eulogies at 4:30 p.m. Interment with full military honors will be at a later date in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.