His family has related that the celebration of life will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Davis Community Church, 412 C St. in Davis.

Dr. Eldridge died Feb. 5 in Davis at age 91.  (See tributes on UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology website.)

"Bruce was born in San Jose to Arthur Julius Eldridge and Ruth Myrtle Eldridge, the youngest of three boys," the family wrote in an obituary published March 4 in the Davis Enterprise. "Because he was small when he was little, he was given the nickname 'Bink,' which he answered to until he was 8. But he was always Bink to his parents and his brothers, nieces and nephews. His mother introduced him to nature early in life; the folklore was that by the age of 3 he had learned the botanical names of all the plants in the vicinity."

"During World War II, his mother went to work full-time, so Bruce was sent to his grandparents' chicken farm in Santa Cruz in the summers. During this time, he became fascinated with the trains that ran by the farm. This became a lifelong passion, including serving as a director of the Sierra Northern Railway, and for several years was a licensed locomotive engineer and operated passenger trains in the Woodland area."

Eldridge received his bachelor's degree in biological sciences in 1954 from San Jose State College; his master's degree in entomology (1956) from Washington State University, Pullman; and his PhD in entomology two years later at Purdue University. His wife, Shirley, typed his dissertation.

His family noted: "He joined the Army in 1956 as a commissioned officer and reported to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where he fell in love at first sight with his wife, Shirley, who attended the same church. They were married on April 20, 1957, and they had three children: Deborah, Stuart and Kenneth. The family moved many times, living in the Washington D.C. area twice, Maryland, Indiana, the Panama Canal Zone, Oregon and California."

He retired as a colonel from the U.S. Army after 22 years and was the recipient of multiple awards and medals, including the Meritorious Service Medal in 1972 for distinguished achievements, and the Army's Legion of Merit in 1977. He then served as professor and chair of the Oregon State University Department of Entomology from 1978 to 1986. He joined the UC Davis entomology faculty in 1986, and directed the statewide UC Mosquito Research Program from 1986 to 2000.

"He always loved music, singing in church choirs, learning to play the banjo, and playing in several bluegrass bands through the years," his family said. "He also was an actor, singing and appearing in community productions, and spoke several languages."

Resources:
Legendary Medical Entomologist Bruce Eldridge Dies at 91
UC Davis Entomology and Nematology website, Feb. 13, 2025

The Late Medical Entomologist Bruce Eldridge, a Licensed Locomotive Engineer
UC Davis Entomology and Nematology website, Feb. 19, 2025

Bruce Eldridge, 1933-2025
Davis Enterprise
March 4, 2025