In Memory of George Bruce Lewis November 4, 1953 - March 27, 2026
It is with great sadness, we announce the passing of the loving husband of Elaine and loving, devoted Dad to his daughter, Amanda.
Bruce was surrounded within the love of Elaine, Amanda, his brother Ronald and sister-in-law Debbie in his remaining days and final passing.
Bruce was born on November 4, 1953, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He was the first-born son of Gerald Frederick Lewis and Lois Jane Lewis who are both deceased. He is survived by brothers Grant Frederick, and Ronald James as well as nephews Gregory and Douglas in Sault Ste. Marie and Kevin and Mark in Alberta. He enjoyed a very special relationship with his grandparents who are also deceased.
He is survived by his loving wife, Elaine, and his beautiful, loving daughter, Amanda. We must include his 2-four-legged Shetland Sheepdogs, Kaylee and Cleo who also really loved their Daddy.
Family meant everything to Bruce, and he always made sure we were all well taken care of, even though he had such a busy career.
Bruce graduated from Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario with a Bachelor of Engineering In 1976. He went on to Winnipeg to gain his Air Navigator wings as a Lieutenant.
Bruce flew on the old Argus, Anti-Submarine aircraft from CFB Summerside with his fellow "Gophers”. He was promoted to Captain in 1979 and was posted to CFB Shearwater where he crewed aboard Sikorsky Sea King helicopters. He deployed to sea quite regularly with our navy. While at Shearwater, he commanded the Helicopter Operation and Test Flight Evaluation Unit (HOTEF) and also undertook a Masters of Applied Science at Nova Scotia Technical College and received his degree in 1986. He was promoted to Major In 1987.
In 1988, Bruce's little girl, Amanda was born and Bruce literally walked on water for weeks. Amanda and her Dad have always been "'Partners in Crime'' and Elaine never knew what they were going to spring on her. Bruce also completed many courses over his career and excelled at all.
In 1991, Bruce attended the British Staff College course in Bracknell, England for one year which included a large number of British and international officers. Upon completion, he was posted to DND Ottawa where he worked with the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff’s Secretariat for 18 months and was promoted to L. Colonel. He was then posted to CFB Comox in 1994 where he commanded 407 Squadron, CP140 Auroras for 3 years. Bruce returned to Ottawa as Project Manager of the CP 140 Aurora implemental Upgrade Program in 1997. Bruce spent almost 20 years developing, obtaining approvals and completing Ill of IV block upgrades. During that time, he was appointed Director of the unit in addition to his duties as Project Manager, which in itself was a challenging position but Bruce took it on and excelled in this double role for approximately 6 years. The Aurora Update Program was the highlight of Bruce's career and he was so very proud of the men and women who supported and worked with him.
Bruce retired from the Canadian Air Force in October 2012 from which he had had an amazing career. Bruce went on to enjoy several consulting positions in private industry.
Although our hearts are heavy with grief, we take great comfort in the number of lives Bruce touched. We have wonderful memories to sustain us. Bruce will be greatly missed every minute of every day, and we will carry his happy spirit with us forever.
A Celebration of Life for Bruce and interment will be announced at a later date.
Digital Guestbook
Kristie Stewart
Reid McBride
My condolences to Bruce's family on this sad news. Although I never flew with Bruce, I knew him from his Sisyphean efforts to get much needed upgrades for the Aurora fleet through government hurdles that often appear designed to never approve any spending. His perseverance was rewarded with the current state of the art surveillance machines flying today. Rest in Peace Bruce.
Mike Spurr
I worked for Bruce on the CP140 Modernization project. He was a great boss who always treated people fairly. Rest in peace. My condolences to his wife and daughter.
John MacCaull
Elaine, Amanda, Denise and I we were greatly saddened by the unexpected loss of Bruce and offer our deepest condolences. I first worked with Bruce when he was my Director and I was the CP140 Weapon System Manager. Although we had our share of tête-à-têtes over the AIMP project, his passion for the fleet and the RCAF always came from the heart—especially during international meetings in Atlanta. The LRP community and industry owe much to his persistence in keeping the fleet relevant for Canada. His 2018 retirement was one of the largest held in the old mess, a true testament to the respect he earned.
In 2022, while I was PM for the CC295, his trusted perspective during our informal coffee meetings helped get the project back on track. Without him, it is doubtful we would be conducting SAR operations today. More recently, he helped in my own retirement transition, while sharing stories of the Argus, HOTEF, and his family.
Bruce was a boss, a mentor, and a colleague, but most of all, he was a "True Blue" friend that I will miss dearly.
Derek Hillard
My sincerest condolences to the Lewis family. Bruce to many but Mr Lewis to me, was a formidable leader and a person of great integrity. Having worked with him for many years on the Aurora Program I saw firsthand how his demanding nature was always matched by his consistency and fairness. He leaves behind a legacy of exceptional program management and engineering skills, not forgetting a group of colleagues who are better for having known him. I feel privileged to have been part of the Aurora Program under his leadership. After his many years of dedication and hard work Mr Lewis deserved a long and enjoyable retirement, it’s a great shame that nature had other plans.
Kevin Radford
Like many from the CP140 community, Bruce was a mentor, a leader and a friend with unmatched understanding of the fleet and how to master modernization and program management. I thought he was brilliant. So sorry to hear of his passing and my condolences to Elaine, Amanda and extended family.
Karen Eiblmeier
I first met Bruce 25 years ago, I had the privilege of working for him for many years. Even after that we remained friends. I will always treasure the many end‑of‑day conversations we had in his office, just sitting and talking. I especially loved hearing his stories about Amanda riding, and about his life with Elaine — both of whom he loved so deeply and spoke about with such pride and affection. Those stories showed who Bruce truly was.
He meant a great deal to me, and he will be deeply missed by all of us who were lucky enough to know him.
Harvey Cowan
Bruce Lewis was a memorable student in my Geography classes at Lakeway Collegiate and Vocational School , Sault Ste Marie ( the Soo!). He shared his enjoyment of Sea Cadets and his plan to continue to Royal Roads followed by RMC, Kingston. We enjoyed sharing Christmas greetings and hearing about his military career with his achievement of LCol.
I extend my heartfelt condolences to Elaine and Amanda, and brothers Grant ( also I had the pleasure of teaching you at LAKEWAY) and Ron.
Rest in peace Bruce , you have made a difference !
Jeremy Cutler
I was deeply saddened to learn of Bruce’s passing. He was my first lead when I joined the AERE community over 20 years ago, serving as the Director of Maritime when I arrived as a new AERE officer with the CP140 Weapon System Manager office. From the very beginning, Bruce left a lasting impression on me. He taught me invaluable lessons about leadership, service, and what it truly means to be an officer and an AERE officer in particular. Those early lessons set me on the right path in my career, and I remain profoundly grateful to him for that guidance.
We also worked closely together through the maritime entertainment committee, and I always cherished our conversations. Sharing stories with Bruce was a pleasure; he was thoughtful, kind, and genuinely interested in the people around him. He was, quite simply, a very nice man.
Bruce’s leadership and friendship meant a great deal to me, and his influence has stayed with me throughout my career. My sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones during this very difficult time. He will be remembered with great respect and fondness.
Dear Amanda and Elaine. It was an honour to get to know Bruce just a little bit after meeting him while we both worked on the Aurora Program. Bruce on the government side and me on the contractor side. I thoroughly enjoyed our dinners together in Florida and will miss them now when I visit with you, Amanda again. Keep your memories close and he will always be with you. We now have one more angel in heaven to watch over us.