Marilyn Marie “Guppy” (Macklin) Bruce went home on Jan. 13, 2016. Marilyn was born on Sept. 15, 1940, and raised in Medford, MA, the daughter of Earl and Marie (Wendt) Macklin. Along with her brother Robert, she attended the Community Baptist Church on Fulton Street in Medford. As a candy striper at Lawrence Memorial Hospital she began a career as a Registered Nurse. After graduating from Medford High School in 1958 she went on to receive her nurses training at Widden Memorial Hospital in Everett, MA. Over her long nursing career she worked primarily in obstetrics and helped bring hundreds of babies into the world.

In 1962, she was married to Donald A. Bruce Jr. and they made their home in Ipswich, MA. Along with raising her four children she worked at Cable Memorial Hospital. She was an active member of the Immanual Baptist Church where she would play her autoharp and teach Sunday School.

The family moved to West Bath, Me in 1976. She was a past member of First Baptist Church of Bath and held employment at the Bath Memorial Hospital. She later went on to Parkview Hospital until her retirement, making many friends along the way.

During her life she loved the outdoors. She enjoyed hiking, camping and walks on the beach. She especially loved boat rides and mackerel fishing from the Bruce family camp in Brighams Cove. Any time she could get out in the boat with her family was a good day.

In retirement she enjoyed caring for her cat “Papi” working in her yard and garden, watching her beloved Red Sox and Patriots, and listening to Jimmy Buffet. She loved history, particularly anything to do with the Civil War and Joshua Chamberlain. She helped start the process of saving the one-room Littlefield School House in West Bath. Her house, built in 1760, was an ongoing restoration project that she took pride in.

In recent years she was her granddaughter’s biggest supporter of her goal to become Miss Maine USA. She traveled to many events including Maine Day at Fenway Park and this past summer the Miss USA pageant in Baton Rouge, LA.

She is survived by her four children: daughters, Nancy Elwell and husband Michael of Port Orange, Florida, and Bethany McCabe and husband Timothy Sr. of West Bath; sons, Donald Bruce III and partner Laine Laliberte of Brunswick, and Peter Bruce and wife Dawn of Framingham, MA; granddaughters, Heather Elwell of Los Angeles, CA, Sarah Elwell and partner Joey Champa of Port Orange, FL, and her “favorite grandson” Timothy McCabe Jr. of West Bath. She is also survived as well by former husband and friend Donald Bruce Jr. of Redlands, CA; brother, Robert Macklin of Stoneham, ME and family member David Bruce of West Bath.

The family would like to thank Dr. Rick Marden for his care, Mid Coast Hospital staff for their compassion, Bath EMT’s and Sagadahoc County Sherriff ’s Department for their determination, and also her special neighbors, the Gulianis for all the kindness to our mother.

A celebration of her life will be held Sunday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 851 Washington St., Bath, ME, with Pastor Steven Rowe officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you would perform a random act of kindness.

To express your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com.