Bruce David Markle

Given his love of flying & skydiving, Bruce David Markle of Lake Kiowa, Texas, began flying freely on October 18, 2016 after a ten month battle with esophageal cancer.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 22 at 2 PM at Whaley Church at 701 Rosedale Drive in Gainesville Texas.

Bruce was born March 5, 1959 to David and Betty (Knutson) Markle in Charles City, Iowa.

He grew up in Greene, Iowa and attended the Greene Community Schools, graduating in 1978. He obtained his degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University in Ames in 1982, and then later received his Master of Science in Aerospace Systems Engineering from West Coast University in Pamona, California.

Bruce’s first job at age 13 was with his father at his John Deere Dealership in Charles City, Iowa. He honed his mechanics and engine repair skills there. After college in 1982 he began his work at General Dynamics, Convair Division in San Diego, California, where he was the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Lead and Liaison, later transferring with that Division to Tucson, Arizona when it was bought by Hughes Aircraft.

Bruce & Sonia moved to rural Gainesville, Texas in 1995 and founded RoboTek Engineering. They were highly successful in creating and marketing innovations such as RoboSki (an unmanned jet ski target vehicle), Screamer (an unmanned cargo parachute delivery system), Guardshack (for naval fleet security), and SeaFox and Remoted Scarab (for unmanned testing of antiterrorist barriers) which they contracted out to various US Military Branches. He deeply valued the friendships he made while developing these projects. The RoboCow, Quadcopter, and drone projects were still in development at the time of his death.

In 1987 Bruce met a special Person-Sonia Holder-at a skydiving event in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They were united in marriage and spent the next 29 years raising their family and working side by side. They were blessed with three sons-Tyler, Conner, and Carson. Activities with Family and Friends brought joy to Bruce’s life—RV travel, dirt bikes, home schooling events, skiing, pyrotechnics, rock music and concerts, paragliding, snorkeling and scuba diving, and of course—Frisbee Golf.

Flying and skydiving were Bruce’s passion. He once flew his bi-plane from San Diego to Iowa. He was a member of the Gainesville Flying Club. His yearly pilgrimage to the Oshkosh Fly-in was even squeezed in this summer in between chemotherapy treatments. His friends also gifted him with a road trip to an UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicle) Conference in New Orleans.

Those who have shared Bruce’s life include his wife Sonia of Lake Kiowa, Texas and his three sons: Tyler of Richardson Texas, Conner of Denton, Texas, and Carson of Boston, Massachusetts.

In-Laws are Dan and Ruth Holder of Lake Kiowa.

Sister Barb and her husband Larry Tommingo of Charles City, Iowa.

Brother-in-law Randall Holder and wife Mona of Lewisville, Texas.

Aunts include Blanche Smith of Ardmore, Oklahoma; Charlotte Markle of New Hampton, Iowa; Martha Hoelter of San Francisco, California; and Lora Zeinun of Nogales, Arizona

Bruce was also blessed to have caring nieces, nephews, cousins and friends in his life.

He was preceded in death by his mother in 1993 and his father in 2008.

Fly free brother.