Bruce Bandt

May 14, 1959 - November 13, 2025

Obituary

MADISON – Bruce Arden Bandt, age 66, passed away on Thursday, November 13, 2025. Bruce was born on May 14, 1959, in Berlin, WI to Arden and Mary Jane (Buchanan) Bandt. He grew up in Coloma, WI and graduated from Westfield High School in 1977. Bruce married the love of his life, Connie Falk, on September 12, 1987, in Madison, WI. He worked for the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice for 38 years in their TIME Control Center. There wasn’t a sport he didn’t like. Basketball and pickleball were some of his favorites. He also enjoyed Star Wars, playing cards, and playing video games with his son.

Bruce is survived by his wife of 38 years, Connie; son, Brandon; and sister, Julie Lawrence (Pete Karls). He is further survived by nieces, nephews, aunts, cousins, and friends. Bruce is preceded in death by his parents.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 6:00PM on Friday, November 21, 2025, at RYAN FUNERAL HOME, 2418 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison. A visitation will be held from 4:00PM until time of service at the funeral home on Friday.

The family would like say a special “thank you” to the staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, SSM Home Health, and the Oncology Department at SSM Health, Fish Hatchery Location. To view his obituary and leave a memory, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services
2418 N. Sherman Avenue
608-249-8257

Events

Visitation

Fri Nov 21, 2025 @ 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM CDT

Ryan Funeral Home • 2418 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, WI 53704, Madison, WI 53704

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Celebration Service

Fri Nov 21, 2025 @ 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM CDT

Ryan Funeral Home • 2418 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, WI 53704, Madison, WI 53704

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Dan & Stacy Parenteau

Friend • 4 months ago

A few years ago we wandered into PicklePro Courts for Open Play Pickleball and that's where we met Bruce. We loved playing with Bruce, he was always pleasant, quick with a joke, and boy when he hit the ball it went so fast you couldn't even see it. After a few months we organized a "friends tournament" and wouldn't you know it, Bruce and his friend John took the gold. It was so much fun! He was one of our favorite people to play with and he will be dearly missed.

Rudy King

Friend • 4 months ago

Bruce was my best friend while growing up in Coloma. We were practically joined at the hip; doing all those things young boys do, which probably drove our parents and the rest of the townsfolk crazy. But life was always great when I was able to spend time with my best buddy. Playing pee-wee baseball coached by his dad, Arden, playing basketball and softball in school, riding our bikes all over town, hanging from the old apple tree by the pump house, watching Star Trek reruns after school, our disastrous attempt at building a kit model rocket, making the first ever Zip-line in his back yard (which Arden told us to take down immediately before we broke our necks!), several weekend camping trips around Wisconsin, and a two-week vacation driving across the country to California and back – with six people in a sedan, pulling a pop-up camper and, at one point, I had my guitar inside the vehicle with us singing songs as we tooled down the highway. I have thousands of incredible memories of Bruce, each one of them a wonderful story to me. Thanks for all those great times, Bruce! You will be missed.

Adelle Powers

Coworker • 5 months ago

I worked with Bruce for many years in state government at the TIME System Control Center. He is dearly missed, and I will always remember him fondly. He was a wonderful storyteller, and helped us to pass many long hours with tales of growing up in Coloma, meeting and marrying Connie, and all that Wisconsin was in the 70s and 80s. He also played an incredible prank on me which I will never forget. I am an Ice Age Trail hiker, and I told Bruce that I would be in Coloma for an upcoming hiking weekend. I thought no more about it, and my friend Natalie and I were very shocked when, after a long, sweaty day of hiking, the front desk at the hotel casually informed me the police would like to speak with me. Natalie and I, staying at the Coloma Hotel, trudged downstairs, trying desperately to remember what we may have said the night before at "The Cabin" to warrant such local attention. Arden (Bruce's father) got up and said, "You must be Adelle. Don't worry; there's no cops. Bruce told me you'd be coming our way this weekend and I just wanted to introduce myself." I was then lucky enough to hear all of Bruce's stories told from the other side lol. I especially enjoyed the stories of Bruce's town donkey. You are very missed, Bruce, and I hope the force is with you wherever you are.

June Buchanan

Family • 5 months ago

Bruce is my oldest nephew, he was born when I was fourteen. Coming from a family of all sisters, I was fascinated by having a baby boy in the family. Bruce spent a lot of time at our farm, and my Dad (Bruce's Grandpa) finally had a boy. Bruce will be missed by me, it doesn't seem real that he is gone. May the Shores of Eternity surround his Soul in everlasting peace - Aunt June