Bruce was the eldest of Edward and Stella Shelton's family of five children and lived on a farm outside Dusodie until the age of 12, when his father died. Unable to work the farm and raise five children, his mother put a share farmer on and bought a house in Five Dock, Sydney where Bruce completed his schooling and became a carpenter.

He joined the air force and initially worked in the stores depot in Toowoomba before being assigned to an air crew and sent to the islands. He served for three years and 9 months, being discharged on August 13, 1947.

He spent the last 15 months of his service in Japan as part of the occupational forces for which he received the Pacific Star.

Bruce married Valda in 1952 and they bought Dusodie from his mother and settled there. In 1961 Bruce built a house at Clarence Town Road, Dungog for his expanding family - Neil born in 1957 and Lynette born in 1962. Valda found living on the farm very lonely and was much happier living in town near friends, so Bruce travelled to and from the farm seven days a week. During this time he went from being a dairy farmer to being a grazier. In 1980 Bruce sold the farm and Valda passed away in 1992.

Bruce later struck up a friendship with Judy Watkins and they frequented the dance halls around the Maitland and Cessnock areas, spending more than 20 years together until Judy passed away four years ago. Bruce pursued his love of lotto and poker machines, being a regular visitor to the Dungog RSL Club. In 2017 Dungog RSL Sub branch awarded him a certificate for 50 years service to the RSL. Bruce is survived by his sister Betty, 89, son Neil (and his wife Fiona), daughter Lyn and two grand children, Rebecca and Josh.