Edwin "Bruce" Ramzel

Edwin Bruce Ramzel, 73, of Bartlesville, departed his earthly life for his Heavenly home on Thursday, January 11, 2024, in Bartlesville. Bruce always welcomed a conversation with anyone at any time and strived to make others feel like they belonged. He was a kind, gentle, loving, and faithful man. He had a brilliant mind and a great thirst for knowledge. He had a quick wit and delightful sense of humor. He will be greatly missed. Bruce was born February 2, 1950, to Charles “Tex” Edward and Juanita Elizabeth (King) Ramzel in Nashville, Tennessee. He spent much of his youth, with his sister, Leslie, in Borger, Texas. His family moved to Bartlesville in 1964, where he graduated from Sooner High School in 1968. As a child, he enjoyed running across quicksand, riding bikes with his friends, boy scouts, and playing baseball. In high school, he participated in wrestling, track, and marching band (flute). In 1969, Bruce enlisted in the Navy and served a tour of duty in Vietnam from June 1971 to January 1973 on the U.S.S. Somers (DDG 34) destroyer as a fire control and radar technician, where he earned a number of ribbons and medals, including a Meritorious Unit Commendation and Combat Action Medal. After his honorable discharge, he worked as a commodities broker in Oklahoma City. Bruce returned to Bartlesville in 1978. Upon returning, Bruce’s mother and father were leading a singles group at First United Methodist Church, where he became reacquainted with and fell head over heels for Mary Rawlins. Bruce and Mary were married on March 15, 1980, at First United Methodist Church in Bartlesville. On May 1, 1981, their son, Rusty, was born, and on August 26, 1986, their daughter, Heidi, was born. Bruce was proud to have earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in 1989. Professionally, Bruce had a nearly 30-year career in the oil and gas industry. He worked as a technician in oil and gas research and development for Phillips Petroleum Company and the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research (NIPER); where he researched enhanced oil recovery (steamflooding and carbon dioxide floods), worked on developing the National heavy oil reservoir database, and performed assessments of National heavy oil resources, production, and refining, with a particular focus on production projections of large U.S. oil shale and U.S. tar sands resources. In the latter half of his career, he worked as an analyst for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Oil R&D Program and for the DOE Office of Science and Technology risk analysis team, where he provided input into the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology for the 1997 Comprehensive National Energy Strategy and into a guide for conducting risk analyses for the DOE’s technology research programs. Bruce authored, co-authored, and edited numerous publications on oil and gas research during his career. In his free time, Bruce loved bowling, dancing, chess, crosswords, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, and keeping up to date on current events. He was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan, enjoyed reading to learn about new subjects, and most of all loved spending time with his family. Bruce helped at Heidi’s softball practices, judged at Rusty’s debate competitions, enjoyed playing softball, singing in the church choir, and going on walks and traveling with Mary. He had a gift for mentoring children and young adults, whether they were his children’s friends or neighborhood kids. He served on the advisory board of Bartlesville Public Schools’ Gifted and Talented Program, and, in his retirement years, he volunteered as a reading mentor at Kane and Jane Phillips elementary schools. Bruce spent many years as a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and has been an active member of First (Methodist) Church in recent years. In retirement, he earned a certificate for completing the program of Theological Education by Extension Education for Ministry from the University of the South School of Theology. Bruce is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Mary; children, Russell “Rusty” Caldwell (Michelle) Ramzel and Heidi Anne Ramzel; sister, Leslie (John) Gruel; grandchildren, Aria Lizabeth Martin, Delayna Kaye McElroy, and Olivia Beth Hendricks; nephew, Benjamin Gruel; nieces, Laura Reeves, Annot Walthall, and Wendy Tipton; stepsiblings, David, Beth, and Debi Butler; brothers-in-law Mike (Diana) Rawlins and Jack (Pam) Rawlins; and sister-in-law Diana Gail Rawlins; and a host of other family and friends. He is preceded in death by his father, Tex Ramzel; mother, Juanita (King) Ramzel; stepmother Joye (Butler) Ramzel; father-in-law, Carl Rawlins; mother-in-law, Anne (Caldwell) Rawlins; and brother-in-law, Richard Rawlins. Services will be held on Friday, 2 p.m., at the Bartlesville First Church, with Rev. Dr. Greg Tener officiating. Services are under the direction of Carter Davis and the Davis Family Funeral Home & Crematory – Walker Brown Chapel. Online condolences and remembrances may be shared at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (www.ninds.nih.gov/donate-ninds) or the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org).

Edwin "Bruce" Ramzel

February 2, 1950 - January 11, 2024