Bruce E. Condill, 82, of Arthur, IL, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday morning, December 21, 2025. Born in Elgin, IL on June 23, 1943, Bruce grew up in nearby Barrington, IL, where he cultivated his love of nature and adventure roaming Barrington’s neighborhoods with his brothers and friends. He was a 1961 graduate of Barrington Consolidated High School and a 1965 graduate of Culver-Stockton College, where he studied biology, entomology, and history and met the love of his life, Mary Beth McDonald of Arthur, IL. He was an All-Conference selection in basketball in 1963, 1964 and 1965 and also an Honorable Mention NAIA All-American. He joined the Peace Corps in 1966 and served three years in Uganda, where he helped establish the Ibanda Secondary School for boys, teaching multiple subjects, coaching basketball and track, and helping build many of the facilities at the school. He made lifelong friends in the Peace Corps, coming back with stories to tell his family for years to come, including harrowing tales of climbing some of the highest peaks in the Ruwenzori Mountains.
He married Mary Beth on December 30, 1967, in Arthur, IL. Their first year of marriage was spent in East Africa, forging a lifelong partnership and connection that was obvious to all who spent time with them. Their time together in Africa carried over into their home on the farm, sharing a worldview of the wonders of nature and humanity. After returning from Africa, he taught science at Urbana Middle School for one semester, at which point he had the opportunity to try his hand at farming. Learning from his father-in-law Charles McDonald and other family and community members, he ended up tending the land for the next 50 years. He and Mary Beth raised three sons on the farm and hosted an endless series of visits from friends, family, and acquaintances, helping to connect all of them to the land. He was very active in the community and served as a basketball coach in Arthur at the middle and high school levels for many years. In 1976, he played a large role in establishing what became the Arthur Cheese Festival. As a member of Vine Street Christian Church, he served as Elder, Sunday School teacher, Board moderator, choir member, and a Children’s Story teller (one of the best), for over 50 years. He was also a longtime chairman and member of the board of the Arthur Home.
In 1989, he and Mary Beth founded The Great Pumpkin Patch, which was successful beyond his wildest dreams and continues as a community staple today. Bruce was very proud of the Patch and loved giving the red-carpet treatment to visitors on his trusty golf cart each fall. He was an award-winning member of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association, board member of the Kaskaskia Watershed Association, and Vice Chair of the Upper Kaskaskia Ecosystem Partnership. Bruce also served on the board of The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan for many years, and he and Mary Beth attended every show, some of them more than once. He was a fixture at local sporting events, not only following his sons’ and grandchildren’s games, but many, many others. By some estimates, Bruce watched over 7,000 basketball games over the course of his life. Bruce loved music and was a proud member of the Coles County Barbershop Chorus for over 10 years. This group, as he said, was an unexpected opportunity to make a whole new set of friends later in life. He especially loved church hymns, and always became emotional at the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus at Christmastime.
Bruce was predeceased by his parents, Buck and Fern Condill of Barrington, IL, along with two brothers, Bill and Charles, both of Elgin. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Beth, son Kit and daughter-in-law Emily of Champaign, son Mac and daughter-in-law Ginny of Arthur, and son Buck and daughter-in-law Shana of Whittier, North Carolina. He is also survived by grandchildren Benjamin, Charley, Kai, Ayla, Mackenzie, Norah, Coewn, and Phoebe, his brother Jim, and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives. He loved family history and family reunions, and took great pride in passing on family stories to the next generation. Bruce had a unique connection to nature and the land. He loved collecting insects and observing nature all around him, which he passed along to his children and grandchildren. The wonder of the Earth and the spiritual connection he felt as a steward of the land was very important to him. The farm became his place to care for, and he wanted to share it with all he knew, and those he didn’t know yet. The Great Pumpkin Patch was an extension of his community-minded mission and his servant-centered heart. In his final weeks, he was able to connect with friends and family all around the world, and he felt truly lucky to be able to feel his family and friends' love during his last days at the farm. His signature greeting to the kids he encountered was the ol’ rubber arm handshake, and the delight he got from the smiles of those kids was the essence of Bruce: spread love, have fun, and be connected to humanity.
Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 26, 2025 at the Vine Street Christian Church, 249 South Vine St., Arthur, IL. A Memorial service will follow starting at 12:00 p.m., Noon, on Friday at the church. Rev. Alex Hack will officiate. The Edwards Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Vine Street Christian Church or The Little Theater on the Square.
