Date of Birth:
Sunday, April 30, 1933
Date of Death:
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Age:
92 years old

Bruce Calvert Lushbough

Bruce Calvert Lushbough, age 92, died on March 28, 2026, at his home at Charter House in Rochester, MN.

Bruce was born on April 30, 1933, in Crawford, Nebraska to Allen and Lillian (Calvert) Lushbough. His family lived in Harrison, Nebraska until he was two years of age when they moved to Sturgis, South Dakota.

Bruce graduated from Sturgis High School in 1951. He took part in all athletics, being a standout basketball player. He was named a South Dakota All-State center his junior and senior years of high school.

He attended the University of South Dakota graduating magna cum laude in 1955. He attended the University of South Dakota School of Medicine for two years and received his MD degree in 1958 from Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia. After a one-year internship in Duluth, MN he served two years in the Navy in San Diego, CA. The family relocated to Brookings, SD in 1961, where Bruce joined the Brookings Clinic as a family physician until his retirement in 1990. During his medical career he delivered over 2,000 babies and cared for thousands of patients.

Bruce received numerous medical honors during his career. He was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha at Jefferson Medical School. In 1981 he served as President of the South Dakota State Medical Association. He received the first South Dakota Family Doctor of the Year Award awarded by the South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians in 1984. In 1987, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the South Dakota State Medical Association. He was a South Dakota Delegate to the American Medical Association from 1986 to 1990. He received a Bush Medical Fellowship in 1990 and was awarded a Master of Science degree in Medical Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1992. Bruce participated in a wide range of clinic, hospital, and state committees during his professional tenure. He was a clinical professor of Family Medicine at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine where he participated in the education of many medical students and residents. He was the medical director of the athletic trainer program at South Dakota State University and enjoyed caring for the basketball players at SDSU for over 25 years.

Bruce was an active member of United Methodist Church in Brookings, SD serving on many leadership committees. He was elected to the Brookings School Board of Education in 1974 and served as board president in 1977. He served on many community boards and was active in Rotary and Habitat for Humanity.

Bruce married Ila Larson on July 22, 1956. Bruce and Ila were blessed with two children, Bruce Jr. (Julie) and Dr. Kathy Lombardo (Phil); four grandchildren Christopher (Nadia), Matthew (Nicole), Bryan (Abbey) and Madison; and five great-grandchildren Hailey, Miles, James, Eleanor and Oliver.

Since 1965, Bruce and Ila’s summers were spent at their lake cabin at Lake Poinsett – enjoying boating, fishing and beautiful evening sunsets on their deck. They spent many weeks during the summer at the Lushbough cabin in Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills. Bruce enjoyed gardening, boating, fishing, flying his Mooney airplane, playing bridge and cheering for the SDSU Jackrabbits, Vikings and Twins. Bruce was a longtime member of the Prairie Striders Running Club and ran many Jack 15 road races and completed one marathon. Bruce and Ila were avid travelers and traveled throughout the United States and world. After retirement, they enjoyed 20 years of winters in the Florida Keys.

Bruce most of all enjoyed spending time with Ila, children, and grandchildren. He was fortunate to enjoy his relationship with five great-grandchildren who referred to him as Great-grandpa or Big Papa.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Ila, of almost 70 years of marriage, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his brother John Lushbough (Carol), his brother-in-law Deo Larson (Carol), five nephews and their families and cousins.

The family wishes to thank the Mayo Clinic Departments of Family Medicine and Urology, Mayo Clinic Hospice, Comfort Health and Charter House for their thoughtful care of Bruce and his family during the past several years.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Charter House in Rochester, MN (211 2nd St. NW Rochester, MN). Visitation will begin at 10am, service at 11am and lunch reception at noon.

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