Bruce K. Carmichael

Bruce Kevin Carmichael, beloved husband and father passed away at the age of 73, after a period of declining health, at home, with his family by his side. Bruce was born in Portland, ME, to Clair and Violet (McFarland) Carmichael, on August 31, 1952.

After graduating from South Portland High School, Bruce attended Southern Maine Community College, where he graduated with an associate degree in Electronics. Bruce then began his career at Dictaphone-Pitney Bowes, where he enjoyed a fulfilling career as an electronics technician, and through which Bruce met the love of his life, Joan. He was an employee of the Dictaphone Maine branch; she was in the Connecticut branch. It was a job training in CT that brought Bruce to Joan. The connection between Bruce and Joan was instant. Joan noticed that Bruce had a good sense of humor, and after a few phone conversations, they began their two-year, long-distance romance. He’d drive to Connecticut one weekend, and she to South Portland, Maine the next. They became engaged in February 1980, and married on July 26, 1980. Before their marriage, Bruce had become the Dictaphone branch manager in Manchester, NH which is where the newlyweds started their life together.

In 1983, Bruce and Joan bought the house they would share together for the next 42 years. It was a real “fixer-upper”, but Bruce was the perfect hard-working, skilled handyman-type for the job. Over the years Bruce not only fixed up their house, but turned it into a home. He painted it inside and out, added landscaping, and renovated, executing his vision with skill and precision. His eye for colors and patterns shone through every inch that he poured his talent and love into, leaving behind a comfortable and safe home for Joan to enjoy, even after his death.

Family was Bruce’s life. He loved Joan with every fiber of his being, and when they welcomed their two sons, first Jeffrey, then Steven, Bruce became a father unequivocally devoted to his children. He taught his sons important life skills like the basics of car mechanics and woodworking; spent time with them building bonfires for marshmallow roasting and helped them build a fort in the woods behind their home. He took Joan for rides on the back of his 750 Yamaha motorcycle and taught her how to ski in Sugarloaf and Killington. His easy smile and laughter brought people together, and his hands-on parenting created an everlasting bond with his sons.

Bruce was a man who loved to spend weekends mowing his lawn. He enjoyed being at the ocean, lake, or family pool with friends and family. If you spoke to him, he really listened, creating a calm and safe environment for everyone lucky enough to know him. He was humble and kind; his life and his love so much bigger than a few paragraphs could possibly convey. Although his absence can never be filled, his legacy of kindness lives ever on.

Bruce is preceded in death by his parents, Clair Carmichael, and Violet (McFarland) Carmichael; his daughter, Katherine (Katie) Carmichael who passed away in 1976; and stepbrother, Gary Carmichael.

Bruce is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Joan (Berlekovic) Carmichael; their two sons, Jeffrey Bruce Carmichael, wife Amanda, and children, Levi, Violet, and baby Ellis of Virginia, and Steven Joseph Carmichael, wife Alexis, and their daughter Madelyn, of Manchester, NH; his sisters, Janice Carmichael of Portland, Maine, and Lenore (Carmichael) Kells and her husband Kerry; nephew Michael Elliott, wife Kumi, and their two daughters of San Diego; niece Briana Lefebvre, husband Matt and their two daughters; father-in-law, Joseph Berlekovic and wife Nancy of Midlothian, Virginia; sister-in-law Marcia Carmichael, wife of Gary, in Port Orange, FL, and their son Shawn Carmichael of Jacksonville Beach, FL; brother-in-law Don Berlekovic and wife Pam of Milford, CT; sister-in-law Laraine (Berlekovic) Fenton, her husband Steve and their family; as well as many cousins and close friends.

A Memorial Service for Bruce will be held on December 6, 2025, at 11:00 am at Faith Baptist Church on Mammoth Rd. in Manchester, NH. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly request that donations in honor of Bruce be made to the Visiting Nurses Association of Manchester and Southern New Hampshire as thanks for their wonderful care and kindness. Assisting the family with arrangements is the Cremation Society of NH, Manchester. To view Bruce's Online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com.