Peter “Bart” Kruse Obituary

Peter “Bart” Kruse, age 86, passed away on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 in Stevensville.

A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, July 22 at 10:30 am at Episcopal Church of the Mediator, 14280 Red Arrow Hwy, Harbert, MI 49115. Visitation will take place on Tuesday, July 21 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI. Burial at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Joseph Wrestling Boosters Club. Please feel free to sign Bart’s online guestbook at www.starks-menchinger.com.

Bart was born July 21, 1939 in Ann Arbor to Raymond and Maxine (Rivette) Kruse. From the ages of 2-10 he lived one block from the “Big House”, Michigan Stadium. He would go through his uncle Otto’s gate and sit in his dad’s section for many a Michigan games.

He graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1957, where he was co-captain of the cross country and wrestling teams. He attended U of M for a year and a half, where he was on the wrestling team. He transferred to Eastern Michigan where he was a wrestling captain, conference champion, and ranked sixth in the nation at his weight. He was also president of the Varsity Club. Upon graduation he began a career in teaching and coaching.

In 1965 Bart married the love of his life Carolyn Becker in Kalamazoo. They spent the first five years in Sturgis where daughters Michelle and Heidi were born. In 1970 they moved to St. Joseph, where son Daniel was born. The family loved St. Joseph. The girls were very involved in swimming at a young age and continued through college. Daniel played football and wrestled. Bart and Carolyn were very proud of their kids. Michelle and Heidi graduated from Adrian College and Daniel from the University of Michigan.

Bart’s coaching career spanned 38 years; 2 at Albion, 5 at Sturgis, and 31 at St. Joseph. At all three he was head wrestling coach and an assistant football coach. Bart was honored several times in his coaching career. He was Class B Assistant Football Coach of the Year in 1985. He was inducted to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989 and the St. Joseph High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

In St. Joseph, Bart taught history, civics, physical education, and health. His summer job was teaching swimming at the SJHS pool. He figured he taught about 2000 lessons.

Bart and Carolyn were very involved in the Episcopal Church: St John’s (Sturgis), St. Paul’s (St. Joseph), and Church of the Mediator (Harbert). Bart was in the vestry in all three churches.

In retirement, Carolyn and Bart loved to travel, visit their kids and grandkids, and attend Chicago Cubs and Michigan football games home and away. Carolyn passed away in 2019 after 54 wonderful years of marriage.

Bart was also preceded in death by daughter Michelle, parents Raymond and Maxine Kruse, in-laws Frank and Dorothy Becker, brother Jim, brother in-law William Becker, and sister-in-law Judy Kruse. He is survived by daughter Heidi (Jason) Roffman, son Daniel Kruse (Socorro Sevilla), granddaughters Maddie and Sage Roffman, and grandson Javier Sevilla.

Bart and his family would like to thank his friends and the many kind neighbors who supported Bart in the years following Carolyn’s passing.