Bruce Lee Dyer

Bruce Lee Dyer

October 31, 1951 – January 2, 2024

                     “death is certain – only the hour is unknown”         

Bruce Lee Dyer passed away unexpectedly in Cortez on Tuesday, Jan 2, 2024 at the age of 72 of a heart attack.   Surviving Bruce are his wife, Donna Dyer of Cortez; his half-brother, Fritz Taylor of Cumming, Georgia; half-sister, Mary Sue Akin of Cortez and stepsister Lana Cross (Don) of Kula, Hawaii; sisters-in-law Jeanine Taylor (Doug Rahmoeller) of Lakewood, Colo. and Penny Dyer of Westcliff, Colo.; stepbrother-in-law, Jim Mulkey of Durango, Colo.; and numerous nieces and nephews. Bruce was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Taylor; stepfather, Dan Taylor; father, Guy Dyer; brother, Lloyd Dyer; sister, Elizabeth Morris (Allen); half-brothers, Darun and Brian Taylor; stepsister, Carla Mulkey and brother-law Don Akin Jr.

Bruce was born in Cortez but lived in Dove Creek for the first years of his life. After a divorce, his mom took the family back to Denver and eventually married Dan Taylor. Bruce returned to Cortez for his high school years.  He attended Western State College from 1971-1973. Bruce had many stories from those years in high school including working at the Pony Express (where he learned to cook!), working for friends on their cattle ranch and a story about getting stranded on Battle Rock in a climbing incident that required a rescue effort.  He developed a life-long passion for skiing at Stoner and was involved with maintaining that ski area over its lifetime. He served as a volunteer ski patrolman for the San Juan Division of the National Ski Patrol at Hesperus Ski area from 1990 to 2013.

He loved the great outdoors – hunting, fishing and camping were always a part of his life. He and his brothers built the best potato guns ever! After his retirement in 2018, Bruce and Donna took many RV trips and he shared their travel pictures and escapades with friends. 

But Bruce’s main drive and love in his life was his work.   He had various jobs in the oil & gas industry starting with wildcat drilling rigs in various locations throughout the western United States. When Shell came to Cortez, he started with them in 1982 and that began his career as an instrument technician. A look at his resume shows 33 different contract positions over the years of 1991 until 2013. Then his favorite work began for Modec Offshore Production Systems out of Singapore doing instrument commissioning activities. He worked in Singapore; Dalien, China; Geoje Island, Korea; and Angra dos Reis, Brazil.  All the jobs included offshore work on the instrument commissioning activities aboard oil & gas processing ships Modec built for the country of Brazil. Donna would join him for vacation days and together they traveled in Brazil, Thailand, China, Norway and Singapore.  He often said “not bad, for a boy from Dove Creek!”   He had a way with words and shared many of his adventures through his “friends and family letters”. He finished his career with Modec in 2018.

Anyone who knew Bruce recognized his intelligence and great sense of humor.  He was a special person that worked on improving himself and his spiritual outlook.   He was a wonderful son and very involved in his Mom’s later and end-of-life activities. Through our memories, he will live in our hearts forever. 

Services will be held on Saturday, June 8th, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at Summit ridge Cemetery and an event will be held at the Elks Lodge in Cortez to follow.