Bruce Monrad Meilinggaard Nielsen, age 79, passed away Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Hospice House in Port Charlotte, Fla.

Bruce is survived by his loving wife, Mary Ellen Nielsen (nee Klinc), his sons William “Bill” Nielsen (Amanda) and Robert “Bo” Nielsen (Julia), his former daughter-in-law Katie Millard and his grandchildren Emili, Jackson, Maddox, Lyric and Leo Nielsen and Avery Hawkins.

Bruce was born March 20, 1947, in Greenwich, Conn. His father, Einar Monrad Meilinggaard, died before Bruce’s fourth birthday, and he was raised by his mother Daphne Archer Meilinggaard. He grew up in Port Chester, N.Y., graduating from Port Chester High School in 1965.

He was graduated from the University of Michigan with a liberal arts degree (LSA) and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the School of Public Health. Bruce was a lifelong “Wolverine.” He thoroughly enjoyed attending football games in Ann Arbor, especially when Michigan beat Ohio State.

Looking ahead to his career, for clarity and ease of communication, and as a gift to his posterity, Bruce borrowed “Nielsen” from a family relation as a new last name, retaining the difficult “Meilinggaard” as a middle name.

After taking administrative positions in Michigan hospitals, Bruce moved to Ohio where he served as the CEO of East Liverpool City Hospital for 10 years, then was CEO of Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis.

His proudest healthcare career accomplishment was the founding and operation of the innovative Nielsen Healthcare Group (NHG) in St Louis. Bruce developed and led a collaborative team who placed interim leaders (CEOs, COOs, Nursing Directors, etc.) in hospitals and other healthcare organizations nationwide. Through his tenacity and creativity, combined with the talents of a dedicated staff, NHG provided hundreds of interim leaders to healthcare institutions for more than 27 years before he sold the firm and retired.

A longtime member of the service organization Rotary International, Bruce exemplified its motto “Service above Self” in quiet ways. He challenged himself and others to think outside the box when faced with people or situations different from them. Logic, generosity, business acumen, honesty, curiosity, a wry sense of humor, and loyalty to family, friends and associates were among his many outstanding personal characteristics. Once described as a “provocateur,” he wore the label with pride as he believed we are all better when we question our assumptions.

It should not be said that Bruce lived an “interesting” life because those who knew Bruce knew he disliked that word. He did, however, pursue a wide range of interests throughout his life. His love of music and live theater was a natural fit for the many summers he spent in the Berkshires, where an evening at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, once prompted him to say, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

He was a student of history, voracious reader, and baker extraordinaire. Most notably he was a world traveler, with Europe his favorite destination. Among his “roads less travelled,” he walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, an ancient pilgrimage route to the shrine of the Apostle James.

He enjoyed introducing his family to cultures different from their own. Wherever he traveled, Bruce would seek out family and friends to visit along the way because he cherished those relationships and enjoyed reconnecting with people he loved.

Bruce will be interred at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye, N.Y. A Celebration of Life is to be held in St. Louis at a date to be determined.