Bruce Crooks

December 12, 1949 - October 7, 2020

After a long and courageous battle against Lymphoma, Karl Bruce Crooks, beloved father, brother, husband, and friend passed away at his home in American Fork, Utah, Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at the age of 70. Bruce was predeceased by his parents, Duane and Marjorie Crooks, and his wife Roseangela Crooks. He is survived by his children: Jarod, Matt, Joao Paulo, Gena, Angela, and Ashley; and his siblings: Brent, Robert, Randy, Catherine, Vanessa, and Lynette. Bruce was born in Oakland, California on December 12, 1949 just minutes after his identical twin and best friend in life, Brent. The family moved numerous times when he was a child, eventually leaving California and moving to Idaho before finally settling in Provo in 1965. As a young man, he helped support himself by working summers moving pipe in Idaho and as a logger in Wyoming. While logging he was hit by a falling tree that almost took his life. After several months in the hospital, he was able to return to school and graduated from Provo High in 1968. Like most of us, Bruce's life was a mixture of both sorrows and joys, as well as triumphs and defeats. Through it all, he maintained perspective and was always pushing forward with a focus on brighter days ahead. His loving and endless commitment to serve others was a defining character trait, and he often did so at great personal sacrifice. His life was a tapestry of contrasts. When he was still a teenager, he experienced and tried to emotionally process the vicious brutality of the Vietnam War. Something that left a difficult and lifelong mark on his soul. He often said he was fortunate to return home while many of his friends did not. Yet, all who knew him could testify of his kind, empathetic and generous nature. It became his habit to look for ways to ease the burdens of those around him and spent countless hours doing so. One of the most defining chapters of his mortal journey was the last 15 years of his life. At his choice, he became the sole caregiver to his bedridden parents, allowing them to remain in their own home. He served their abundant needs, both day and night, for many years, until their deaths in 2016. Soon thereafter, his own wife became bedridden, requiring constant care. This he gave without hesitation, 24 hours a day, despite his own hardships with ever advancing cancer. His sweet wife Roseangela, passed away in February of 2020. He considered it a tender mercy from the Lord that he was granted the strength to care for her until she passed from this life. To all of us who knew Bruce, his loss is felt to the very depths of our souls. During his mortal existence, he learned and grew from mistakes determined to become a better man each day. We benefited from his matchless loyalty and unending acts of service. He took to heart the meaning of being his brother’s keeper and seeking to serve the best interests of others. He showed all of us what it meant to embrace the essence of the gospel and the teachings of our Savior. He passed from this life encouraging all around him to hold to the rod and endure to the end. With his mission complete, and with an undying testimony of our Savior and his gospel, he has now joined his sweet Roseangela in the eternities. Graveside Services with Military Honors will be held Saturday, October 10th, at 1:00 pm, at the American Fork City Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Utah Valley Mortuary.