Mr. Bruce Oree

Bruce Eugene Oree of Columbia, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, transitioned Sunday, October 11, 2020, at Prisma Health Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Born November 11, 1950, in Columbia, Bruce was the third and last child born to the late Jerry L. Oree, Sr., and the late Louis Langley Oree.

Bruce Oree attended the public schools of Richland School District One, graduating in 1968 from C. A. Johnson High School. After high school, he continued his education at Benedict College, Columbia, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 1972. After college, Bruce was employed as a correctional officer for the South Carolina Department of Corrections for a few years. Eventually, he relocated to Detroit, Michigan, where he retired from the former Dun and Bradstreet Corporation as an accountant. Upon retirement, Bruce worked in the casino industry. In 2014, Bruce returned to Columbia to help his sister care for their mother.

Bruce was a devoted son and loved taking his mother on car rides and cooking for her. In 2018, Bruce became a resident of White Oak Manor Nursing Home. Though Bruce was incapacitated by a major stroke, he adapted quickly to his new surroundings. At White Oak Manor, Bruce entertained others with stories of fishing, being on C. A. Johnson High School’s football team, traveling, working in a casino, and growing up and thriving in his beloved Allen-Benedict Court.

Bruce was an avid Seattle Seahawks fan and loved watching The University of South Carolina Lady Gamecocks basketball team. He enjoyed watching television game shows, especially “Family Feud.” He also could look at the National Geographic television station for hours on end. Bruce made the very best of his last years of life in White Oak Manor. The only thing he complained about was the food.

In addition to his parents, Bruce Oree was preceded in death by his brother, Jerry L. Oree, Jr., his sister, Geraldine Oree Bynum, who died August 25, 2020, and a nephew, Jerry L. Oree, III.

Survivors include daughters: Tia Lee Johnson (Darren), of Columbia, Jakise Oree, Deidre Oree, and Leondra Oree of Detroit; and son, Bruce E. Oree, Jr., of Detroit; three grandchildren, Taylor and Isaiah Lee and Pearl Johnson of Columbia; two nephews, Jokubu Griffin of Las Vegas, NV, and Jermaine Oree of Columbia; a great-nephew, Dexter Oree and his wife, Keyosha who was instrumental in Bruce’s care; and Martha B. Oree, his sister-in-law and friend whose unwavering devotion to insuring that Bruce received proper healthcare will always be remembered and appreciated by his family and friends; cousins, Delores Langley-Howard and James D. Langley, Jr. (Carolyn) of New York; Maritha J. Frederick (Carl) and Sharon B. Langley of Columbia, Marion J. Johnson, Jr. (Diane), of Maryland, other relatives and friends.

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