Bruce Vermeulen

Bruce Vermeulen, 65, of Columbus, NY passed away at his home on Friday, April 22, 2022, following a short but aggressive illness.

Cherished husband of Elizabeth (Mandaro). Loving father and grandfather to Matthew and Owen.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents George and Eleanor Vermeulen, his brother William, sister-in-law Kandy Vermeulen, and brother-in-law James Cooke.

In addition to his wife Elizabeth, son Matthew, and grandson Owen, who always brought him much joy and laughter, Bruce leaves his sister and brother-in-law Anita and Harold Bontekoe, his mother-in-law Katherine Mandaro, his 2 sisters-in-law Jean Kennedy and Joan Cooke, many wonderful nieces and nephews, and even more cousins.
Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Bruce spent most of his childhood in North Haledon, New Jersey. He always said he had the best childhood a boy could ever have.

He attended Eastern Christian school in NJ, where he developed his love for soccer and was the goalie on his high school team for several years. He loved all aspects of soccer and was involved in coaching his son’s teams for many years.  Bruce was also an avid fan of international football (soccer) especially the English Premier League, and he was a die-hard Arsenal fan, donning his Arsenal scarf and hat while watching many a game.

Bruce attended St John’s University College of Insurance where he met Elizabeth, his wife of almost 42 years. They were married in 1980 in Regina Pacis Basilica in Brooklyn, NY.

He was employed by Prudential Reinsurance Company as a Reinsurance Underwriter in Newark, NJ. He traveled extensively for work, and told the story that one day he woke up and had to check the phone book to remember what city he was in. At that point, Bruce and Elizabeth decided they needed to make a life change. So they moved to their current farm in Columbus NY and began dairy farming, milking for about 10 years. Bruce returned to an insurance job for a while as they expanded their sheep flock.  At one point they had one of the largest commercial sheep operations in the area, working with Cornell University and other large central NY sheep farmers marketing lambs under the cooperative New York Specialty Lamb. Later they marketed lambs to a third-generation butcher in NYC.

Bruce loved horses and was so happy when they brought horses back onto the farm several years ago. He taught himself to drive their Standardbred horse with his Amish cart, and enjoyed driving around the farm fields and local roads. He also enjoyed watching the professional rodeo circuit.

He derived much pleasure from each of the many dogs they had through the years; primarily Border Collies and Livestock Guardian Dogs for their sheep operation.

Bruce was very involved in Town of Columbus government for many years as a member of the Town Board and as the Town Supervisor. He was also a long-time member of the Fair Lawn Memorial Cemetery Board of Directors in Fair Lawn, NJ.

During his adolescence and until he moved to Central New York, Bruce was actively involved in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Paterson, NJ as a sacristan and later as a member of the vestry. He was also an active member of St Matthew’s Episcopal Church in South New Berlin, NY where he was a member of the vestry

Visiting hours will be:
Wednesday, April 27, 2022 from 4 pm to 7 pm at Dakin Funeral Home, 17 N Main St, New Berlin, NY 13411
Thursday, April 28, 2022 from 4 pm to 7 pm at Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 113 South Farview Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652
A short service will take place on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 11 am at Vander Plaat Memorial Home before proceeding to Fair Lawn Memorial Cemetery.
A Memorial Service will be held at St Matthew’s Church at a later date.

Special Thanks to the Doctors, Nurses, and staff at Bassett Hospital and the Nurses at Hospice of Chenango for their excellent care at this difficult time.
In lieu of flowers, Memorial Donations may be made to:
Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network , 1 Atwell Rd, Cooperstown, NY 13326
Hospice and Palliative Care of Chenango County , Dept DN, 33-39 Court St, Norwich, NY 13815
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church , PO Box 18, South New Berlin, NY 13843