Martha S. Bruce, 94, of Bethlehem passed away peacefully at St. Luke's Hospice House on November 17, 2023.

Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Emil C. and Mary (Miller) Schwing.

She was the sister of the late Mary Jane Schwing, the late Emmalyn Carol (Schwing) Geis, and Emil Mark Schwing, who survives her.

She was married to Douglas H. Bruce for 22 years, until his passing in 1979.

Martha earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Penn State University. She was a teacher in Johnstown and Fountain Hill before becoming a stay-at-home mother, the job she always said she most loved. Later in life she continued her career in education, working for the Bethlehem Area School District, Lehigh University, and Northampton Community College.

Grammy Bruce, as she was known to her family, loved crosswords, jigsaw puzzles and board games.  She was a prolific reader, belonging to several book clubs well into her 90s, and enjoyed discussing mystery novels, occasionally giving away the plots. She had a well-known fondness for chocolate and potato leek soup.

She will be greatly missed by her daughter, Laurel Ann Bruce; her son, Douglas H. Bruce Jr., both of Bethlehem; and her granddaughter, Maggie Bear, of Massachusetts.

Private services have been held; there will be no public service or memorial. The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of St. Luke's Hospital and Hospice for their care of Martha in her final days.