BRUCE VERNON POLLARD
Bruce Vernon Pollard, age 73, passed away on January 16, 2025, at 10:55 AM at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri, after a courageous battle for survival. As always, Bruce was surrounded by his loving wife and large family as well as his pastor. Bruce was a devoted Christian by faith, and a long-term member and prior deacon at the First Presbyterian Church of Hannibal.
Bruce was born November 8, 1951, in Hannibal, Missouri. He was raised in Palmyra and graduated from Palmyra Senior High School in 1969.
On a hot summer evening, August 15, 1970, Bruce was joined in marriage to Gwenda May Dudding at Immanuel Baptist Church in Hannibal.
Bruce attended the University of Missouri at Rolla from 1969-71 to study mechanical engineering. He left college to serve his country in the U.S. Air Force from 1971-75, stationed at a remote missile base in Araxos, Greece. Professionally, Bruce worked as a track foreman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad from 1975 until his retirement in 2011.
Bruce is survived by the love of his life and wife of 54 years, Gwenda May (Dudding) Pollard of Hannibal; one son Dustin Bruce Pollard of Palmyra; one daughter Amy Jo Moore (Jeff) of Hannibal; and one brother Larry Pollard (Karen) of Owensboro, Kentucky. Bruce is also survived by his mother-in-law Bettie Giest (Jay Raney) of Stoutsville; sister-in-law Gaylah Sublette (Werner) of Kirksville; and four brothers-in-law, Dallas Dudding Jr. (Vicki) of Hannibal, Dennis Dudding of Lathrop, Missouri, Dexter Dudding (Jenny) of Portland, Texas, and Terry Russell of Mission, Texas.
His beloved grandchildren include Tyler Pollard (Hanna) of New London; Clayton Pollard (Chelsea) of Birmingham, Iowa; Sadie May Mortensen (Keegan) of Nelsonville, Missouri; Phoebe Moore and Pyper Moore of Hannibal; and Aylah Pollard, Addy Pollard, Cooper Stotts, and Caden Stotts of Philadelphia, Missouri. Bruce’s great grandsons include Conway Pollard as well as Walker, Faron, and Baby Boy (due April 2025) Mortensen.
Bruce was also a fun-loving uncle to his many nieces and nephews, and he loved them dearly.
Preceding Bruce in death include his parents, Archie “Bill” Vernon Pollard and Shirley Cedilia (Carlson) Pollard of Palmyra, father in-law, Dallas M. Dudding of New London; sisters-in-law Ginger Russell from Hannibal, Harlene Dudding from Kansas City, Missouri, and Patty Bridget Pollard from Hannibal.
To say Bruce was friendly is an understatement. Bruce never met a stranger and he always had time for his family, friends, neighbors, church, and community. For those who had a special bond with Bruce, he often created a nickname selected especially for that person (like Honey Bunches of Oats, Wolf-woman, Clay-bird, Sadie-bug, Pheebola, Pyper Josephine, Bulldog, and other nicknames that are better left unspoken). You know who you are!
If you know Bruce, you would often see him wearing one of his many novelty T-shirts (which he jokingly called his “chick-magnets”). Clever phrases on his T-shirts include: “I rest my case,” “Flip the Tube,” “Sometimes I talk to myself because I need expert advice,” and “A penny for your thoughts seems kind of pricey.”
Bruce loved coffee, diet Pepsi, bacon, Jeopardy!, trivia, Perry Mason, the Kansas City Chiefs, the St. Louis Cardinals, going to the Fabulous Fox Theater, and monitoring the weather reports and stock prices throughout the day. He also enjoyed all-inclusive beach resorts in Mexico, Costa Rica, and the DR, and especially being outside in his backyard pool (where, true story, he won awards for his pool water quality!). Valuing cleanliness and order, trash day was a high priority activity in his week. His superpower was that he could lift any stain from any fabric which may include floating the item in the pool for pre-treatment.
Services are under the direction of the James O’Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. Visitation is scheduled for January 24, 2025, 5:00-8:00 PM, at the First Presbyterian Church of Hannibal. A Memorial Service with full military honors by Boots Dickson American Legion Post #174, will be held at the same church on January 25, 2025, at 11:00 AM, with a light lunch to follow.
The funeral service will be live streamed through First Presbyterian Church at https://www.fpchannibal. org. The live stream will start shortly before the service begins.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Bruce may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church of Hannibal or the American Cancer Society.
Online condolences may be shared and video tribute may be viewed at www.
