Bruce Martin Strebel, 78, of Irvington, passed away on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 after a long struggle with heart disease.
He was predeceased by his parents, Martin and Mary Strebel; his son, David; and sister, Carole Lee Kuhn.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jacqueline; and his two daughters, Debra (Tyrone Wall), and Diane Wilson (Jace). He was the proud grandfather of Tafari, Hannah, Jamilah, Jennah, Hawwa, Siddiquah, Isa, and Hashem Wall, and is also survived by his brother Gary (Jane), as well as several nieces.
After growing up on Long Island, N.Y., Bruce and his beloved wife married and moved to Virginia to help his father build and develop Norview Marina in Deltaville. At Norview he worked tirelessly seven days a week and during that time was always hustling to accommodate boaters with his loyal workers and family along side him to enable his customers to enjoy their safe and happy boating travels. Working on the water and near fellow nautical lovers, he made many friends over the years. This love was passed on to his family and fishing became one of the bonds that he shared with David.
Bruce always found time to coach his children in their sports activities. He coached Little League baseball and helped maintain Deltaville Ballpark and also helped organize one of the park renovations. He helped care for his daughters’ horses and took them to horse shows.
Later, fishing with his grandchildren in the Chesapeake Bay created a strong bond for them. The young ones fished with him in a nearby pond just a few weeks before his death. There are many wonderful memories of Bruce with all his loved ones.
Bruce continued to be active after the children finished college and built Bayside Mini-Storage in Deltaville, and Kilmarnock Mini-Storage, as well as Urbanna Laundromat. With his Class A Contractors’ License, he built “spec” homes in Deltaville and Hartfield for several years.
He and Jackie did much traveling to the Caribbean and Hawaii, throughout the U.S., and Europe. He took up golf after retiring, and that became his main retirement interest at home with Jackie and wherever they traveled. Offshore fishing with his close cousin, John, and other friends enabled him to bring in the “big catch” a few times a year. Bruce was always a hard-working, dedicated man in all aspects of his life, and made his family happy and proud.
He was a member of Lower United Methodist Church in Hartfield.
He will be cremated at Currie Funeral Home in Kilmarnock and a private service will be conducted with his family at his home at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lower Church, P.O. Box 98, Hartfield, VA 23071.
