Bruce R. Pottorff died peacefully in his sleep on April 7th, shortly after his 90th birthday. He was born in 1935 to Burns Pottorff and Marjory Beck. When he was only 2 years old his mother was killed in a train accident and his dad's sister, Gladys Heffley, adopted him when his father could not care for him. She was a strong force in Bruce's life and instilled values in him that made him the man he would grow to be.

He grew up in Lamar CO. While attending Lamar High School, Bruce played on the football team and was a golden gloves boxer. He spent time working on cars, duck hunting, breaking horses and branding cattle for the local farmers as well as partying with his friends at Two Buttes. There Bruce also met the love of his life, Eilene Rodgers.

After high school in 1953, Bruce, George Penley, and some friends ran off to join the Navy. In the process they were arrested for bad driving but were released when the sheriff found out their plans. He served on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42/CVA-42) Aircraft carrier where he was trained to be an electrician; a skill he used his whole life. He and his wife Eilene had two children during this time, Linda in 1956 and Bruce Daniel in 1957. He left the Navy after his enlistment was up to pursue his real dream of flying an aircraft.

His time as a civilian was short before he soon joined the Air Force and was accepted to the OCS (Officer Candidate School). After eight short weeks he graduated as an officer. It was during this time his son David was born in 1959. Bruce was in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) missile program for launch control and later trained as a C130 transport pilot and participated in emergency missions in Panama, the Congo, Vietnam, and around the world.

Bruce left the Air Force in 1965 to join United Airlines and moved to Denver CO to train as a flight instructor. Two years later he transferred to Fairfax VA to become an Engineer on the DC10s. In 1969, he and his family moved to Bowie MD where they stayed until all of his children graduated high school. Eventually he was promoted to co-pilot and moved to Tacoma, Washington then later promoted again to Captain and moved to Chicago, IL.

Once he retired from United he moved to Crofton MD to be close to his children and later his grandchildren. His last move was to Severna Park MD where he and his wife lived across the street from two of his grandchildren.

At nine years old, Bruce decided while looking at a plane flying by, that he wanted to be a pilot and see the world. Between the Navy, Air Force, and United Airlines he saw most of it including Egypt, the Middle East, England, Paris, the Congo, Panama, Japan, Alaska, Greenland, Turkey, Israel, Canada, India and more. In the states he was stationed in San Diego CA, Tacoma WA, Jacksonville FL, Moultrie GA, Laredo TX, Charleston SC.

Bruce is preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Eilene Rodgers Pottorff. He is survived by his daughter Linda Pottorff Curry (Orville Curry), sons Bruce Daniel Pottorff (Tina Pottorff), and

Dave Pottorff, grandsons Bruce Curry and Daniel Pottorff, and granddaughter Brittany Curry, sister-in-laws Kathy Allard (Tom Allard), Marcia Rodgers (Scott Peterson), and Debbie Jenkins.

Family and friends may visit on Tuesday April 22, 2025 from 10:00am-12:00pm at Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care, P.A. 495 Ritchie Hwy Severna Park, MD 21146. A graveside service will follow at 1:00pm at Lakemont Cemetery in Davidsonville, MD.