We are deeply saddened to announce that Bruce W. Kreider, of Lebanon, passed away on February 1st. He was 74 years of age.

Born on March 11, 1948, Bruce was the son of H. Guy and Pauline J. (Wealand) Kreider, and the husband of Katherine J. Bishop.

He graduated from Lebanon Senior High School in 1966, and Valley Forge Military Academy Junior College in 1968. Bruce also attended East Stroudsburg University and Lebanon Valley College and earned a BS degree from Penn State University.

He was employed as a construction supervisor at the Housing Development Corporation of Lancaster. Following his retirement from HDC, he operated an independent construction business in Lebanon. He was also active in multiple creative projects with his twin brother, Brian.

Friends and fans will recall his work in locally inspired theatrical and film projects. Bruce partnered with his brother in forming a non-profit corporation called PA Historic Dramas. They began with a play based on the local legend of the Blue Eyed Six, a drama which they first produced in 1994 at the old State Theatre in Lebanon, followed by the documentary film, which garnered awards from the Culver City Film Festival in Los Angeles, and the Black Bear Film Festival in the Poconos. Later, they wrote and directed a documentary film called “What Would Mr. Hershey Say.” That project eventually evolved into a stage musical titled “Here Comes Mr. Hershey,” a production which was performed at the Hershey Area Playhouse, and the Gretna Timbers, and in which Bruce himself appeared as Milton Hershey’s right-hand man, Lebbie Lebkicker.

Bruce was widely traveled, having crossed the U.S. several times as a young man. In later life, he and his wife, Kathy, journeyed far and wide to destinations as varied as Africa, India, and Vietnam.

In addition to his wife, Katherine, Bruce is survived by his sons, Jesse Clayton Kreider, and Nicholas Bruce Kreider, both of Los Angeles, CA; his brother, Brian, and his wife, Annie, of Hershey; his brother, David, and his wife, JoAnne, of Westminster, MD, and his brother, James, and his wife, Molly, of Camp Hill.

Bruce’s sense of humor, his wide-open heart, and his generous spirit will be sorely missed by his family and friends and by all those who had the privilege of knowing him.

A public viewing will be held from 6 PM-8 PM on Tuesday, February 7th, at Kreamer Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 618 E. Main St., Annville, PA 17003. A public visitation will be held from 9 AM-10 AM on Wednesday, February 8th, at Kreamer and Lum Funeral Home, 5 Campmeeting Rd., Jonestown, PA 17038. Funeral services will begin at 10 AM on Wednesday at Kreamer and Lum Funeral Home, Jonestown. Interment is at Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, Jonestown.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Nature Conservancy: 555 E. North Lane, Suite 6030, Conshohocken, PA 19428, in his memory.