Obituary of Bruce Ronald Burner

Bruce Ronald Burner passed away on July 23rd.

Bruce was born in Chicago on December 28, 1942 to Lillian (Brinks) and Kenneth Burner. He lived in Highland Park until 1947 when the family moved to Miami. Kenneth and Lillian operated Black Caesar Forge, a hideaway restaurant that was famous for serving rosin baked potatoes and regularly hosting South Florida’s movers and shakers.

Bruce attended Perrine Elementary School and was proudly in the first graduating class of Miami Palmetto Senior High School in 1961. He later graduated from the University of Florida in 1966 with a degree in Chemical Engineering.

He went to work for Phillips Petroleum in Oklahoma before moving to Washington D.C. and earning his MBA at George Washington University. He then worked as a financial analyst in Buffalo, where his first daughter, Julie, was born in 1971.

He then moved back to Miami and found his calling in the hospitality and leisure industry, perhaps influenced by this youth spent at Black Caesar’s. Bruce was an integral member of the management teams of major cruise lines during the early years of the industry and worked in finance roles at Norwegian Cruise Lines and Carnival Cruise Lines. He earned his CPA certificate at Florida International University and would later become a Certified Financial Planner.

While taking accounting courses at FIU, he met the love of his life, Barbara. He proposed to Barbara on their first date. They married in 1980 and Bruce, Barbara and her daughter, Misty, continued to live in Miami with Julie living nearby. Their children Jennifer and Todd were born in 1984 and 1986, respectively.

The family moved to Brevard County when Bruce took the role of Vice President & CFO of Premier Cruise Lines in Port Canaveral. In 1995, Bruce led the launch of Cape Canaveral Cruise Lines and served as the company’s President and CEO until 2001.

His years running the cruise line and operating the Dolphin IV were a source of joy thanks to the incredible friendships he made. His coworkers helped inspire Bruce and Barbara’s infamous annual Halloween parties, complete with new elaborate and eccentric costumes each year.

Bruce finished his career as a consultant to hospitality and leisure companies before retiring and spending his time traveling, visiting family and taking over the kitchen to cook exotic meals, much to Barbara's dismay. He was an avid collector of antique German beer steins and was an active member of Stein Collectors International. He expanded his collection to more than 800 steins during retirement.

Bruce wanted to see and experience everything the world had to offer. He had visited all 50 states and more than 25 countries. Bruce loved people, and they loved him back. He will be remembered for his ability to find humor in every situation, his curiosity and imagination, his devotion to his family and his wild Facebook posts.

He leaves behind Barbara, his wife of nearly 43 years, his step-daughter Misty (Stan), daughter Julie (Brett), daughter Jennifer (Peter), son Todd (Hannah), and his grandsons Sam, Matthew and Owen.