Dr. Bruce W. Farnum, age 85, of Lakeland MN, passed away on November 10, 2020 at United Hospital in St. Paul. Bruce was born on April 5, 1935 in Fargo, ND, to parents Charles and Ruth (Fredeen) Farnum. He graduated from Fargo High School and received his Master’s Degree in Organic Chemistry at North Dakota State University. Bruce married the love of his life Sylvia Ebel on June 6, 1959 in Tower, ND. They were blessed with 61 years of marriage and a daughter, Julie. After serving as an officer in the US Army Ordinance Corps, Bruce earned his PhD at the University of Delaware. He was a Professor at Minot State University before accepting a position at the Energy Research Center on the campus of the University of North Dakota. Bruce later worked for CerTech Corp oration, where he was the inventor of fireproof coatings. Later, Bruce worked for 3M until he and his wife, Sylvia, retired from 3M on the same day in 2002. Bruce was a music lover who played in the NDSU Gold Star Band. He enjoyed traveling with Sylvia in their Airstream trailer. He also loved spending time at their lake home doing water sports, and vacationing on Sanibel Island, FL, where he enjoyed collecting shells. Photography, indoor and outdoor gardening, and reading were some of his favorite hobbies.

Bruce remains in the hearts of his wife Dr. Sylvia and daughter Dr. Julie Farnum (Theresa Markila) of Wharton, NJ.