David Bruce Bieler ( 11-16-1949 – 5/14/25 ) passed away after a year long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Jo Bieler, and is survived by his 104 year old Godmother, Elsie Roe, numerous cousins and extended family.
David graduated in 1967 from Minerva Deland High School, Fairport, NY and earned a Bachelors and Masters degree in Geology from Oberlin College and Dartmouth. After teaching 2 years in Hayes, Kansas, he enrolled at the University of Illinois where he earned a Doctorate in Geology, studying Blueschists and Mélanges in north west Wales. He began teaching at Memphis State University in 1982 and moved to Centenary College of Louisiana in 1988 where he taught for an additional 34 years. During that time he maintained scholarly interest in the structure and stratigraphy of the N. Eastern Big Horn Mountains and the evolution of the southern Appalachians.
To no one’s surprise, throughout this time, David also maintained an active involvement in music and musical theater. He served for 30 years as tenor soloist and cantor at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Shreveport, Louisiana and served 25 years as cantor at B’nai Zion Congregation in Shreveport.
Upon retiring in 2022, David returned home to upstate New York to be with family and friends. He has cherished those relationships with friends and former students who became extended family.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY or any other charitable organization of your choosing.
Arrangements to be handled by Keenan’s Funeral Parlor, Route 31, Fairport, NY, where calling hours will be Tuesday, May 20, from 4-6:00. David’s celebration of life will be Wednesday, May 21, 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church in Pittsford, NY.
41 responses to “Bieler, David”
David, I will always cherish my recent visit with you. We covered so much territory from kindergarten together, all those school years, the church connection that never left us and finally the 50th HS reunion and beyond. I will miss you so much my dear friend. I know all those people waiting for you will be so happy to have you back in their loving arms.
Our loss is Heaven’s gain. Rest in Peace, David.
Dr. Bieler taught my First Year Experience class at Centenary and he really made you feel heard and understand. We kept in contact regularly through my time at Centenary and he was always someone I could go to for advice. I had a health scare in my senior year and he helped me navigate the college’s process for accomodations. Dr. Bieler was an ocean of empathy and was always there to help others. I am grateful to have known him and been one of the many people he helped throughout his life.
David, We were so glad when you returned to reconnect with family and ‘67! And so blessed to have been on this last journey with you! I’ll always have a special place in my heart for you and your mom and dad, my church parents! Precious memories! You’re at peace now, friend, in the arms of our Lord and “all those people who have been waiting for you!”
I will always be thankful for the education and support Dr. Bieler gave me during my Centenary career in 2013-2017 and all the times I got to see him after. He will be dearly missed. I’m so happy he was able to move to New York and enjoy the Northeast again before his passing. He has left a great mark on Centenary and it’s students.
A particularlyt difficult loss of a beloved member of the FHS Class of 67.
Dr. B was one of the most impactful professors I had during my time at Centenary College (2009-2013). His passion for geology and unwavering dedication to his students inspired me to change my major to geology during my sophomore year, and he played a foundational role in shaping the person I am today. I’m deeply grateful for the time I had to learn from him. He will be profoundly missed.
Dr. Butler was an excellent teacher. I enjoyed his classes not because I was interested in geology, but because he was so interesting and engaging. He really cared about his students and clearly loved teaching about his passion.
*Bieler
Cursed autocorrect!
David was suh a nice man. He always took the time to chat and offer encouraging words. The kindness he showed will never be forgotten. RIP my dear friend. You will be missed.
David was a kind man and one who willingly worked with students with disabilities at Centenary College. We collaborated to resolve a few unusual situations. He will be missed.
We cherish the short time that we got to spend with “Professor Dave” at our morning breakfast club gathering. His vast knowledge of so many different topics made us so appreciative of his life. You will be missed. Rest in Peace Dave.
Enjoyed our time together at Centenary discussing music, religion and geology. Kind, compassionate and accomplished in his field of study. Rest well in God’s arms my friend.
Dr. Bieler was a true Centenary Gentleman, in every sense. I’m so grateful for the time he poured into student life, sponsoring various organizations as well as attending athletic events, productions and recitals whenever possible. He was present, supportive, and always engaging with his students. I’m grateful for the visits we shared in recent years before he retired, and so glad he was able to move back home to be near family and friends. Godspeed, Dr. B.
Musical theatre got a little darker and quieter this day. Godspeed dear friend.
He was a wonderful colleague and dear friend. We will miss not ever getting to have a chat with him again!
David was a great mentor for students. He encouraged and supported all the students in his classes and his advisers. He was a thoughtful faculty member contributing his expertise at faculty meetings and while serving on committees. He loved El Compadre! I am so glad he was able to retire and move back home. He will be missed.
I sang with David at St. Mark’s Cathedral and B’nai Zion in Shreveport for over 30 years, and I will miss my friend so much. A highlight was our performance of Britten’s “Abraham and Isaac” with Don Smith at the organ. David drew such joy from making music and all those who worked with him feel this loss very keenly. Rest well, dear friend.
I remember sharing a lot of laughs with Dave in High School. Unfortunately we lost touch afterward. RIP my friend.
David and I met at the Lutheran Church in Fairport singing in the Junior Choir when we were 5 years old. I have known him most of my 75 years. I am glad we were able to interact, once again, once he moved back to this area. It appears he will be missed by many.
Dr. B., you made a profound impact on my life as a teacher, mentor, advisor, and friend. The world was made better because of you, and countless students’ lives were made better — either by holding us accountable, calling us on our B.S. (in a kind, but direct, way), or just being a Light in the sometimes difficult years of college. “You touched my life and made me better for it” is an understatement. Rest well and Fly High — our world has just dimmed with you gone. Bieler, you’re the best!
David was a great teacher! He inspired so many students and provided them for their future. I had many conversations with him about Centanary’s geology department. Rest in pease my friend.
Stafford
I met David during my time as a seminarian at Christ Church in Pittsford. ! What a great and kind man.
At the beginning of many sermons, it is customary for the preacher to recite Psalm 19:14. The King James Version of the Bible renders this as “May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” After one service, David told me that the word rendered there as “strength.” The Hebrew word “tsu-RI,” he said, was more properly translated as “rock.” Fitting feedback from a geologist. (Perhaps he picked up this tidbit from his time as cantor at B’nai Zion Congregation.) This context reframed my understanding of that verse and my words that often follow it.
It brings to mind another verse: “The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:14) David’s voice would rise above the others in the choir and always helped me to find the right pitch. He will be missed.
May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
He was an incredible educator but more importantly an incredible man. He showed what it meant to be a true Centenary Gent. Leading by putting his students 1st.
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David Bieler was a kind mentor and wise guide during my first years teaching at Centenary College. His wide range of interests and thoughtful engagement with both science and the arts made him a role model for me. I’m grateful for the years I had to learn from him.
So sorry to read this. Dave was a fellow grad student with our Professor Dennis Wood from 1978–1982 when he finished his doctorate. In 1979–80 we roomed together with another geology grad. Dave’s field area on Anglesey, Wales, was a few miles down the coast from mine on Holy Island and he was always willing to share his knowledge, expertise, and experience as I struggled with my research results and writing grant proposals. We shared classes with him those first couple years often late evening bar runs after evening classes. My fondest memories of Dave are encountering Dave in late evenings in the Natural History Building. He’d be walking down the hallway singing some operatic aria and his voice would echo down the hall announcing his presence. Loved hearing his voice, daily conversations, and his friendship.
I really need to proofread better—
Replace: “We shared classes with him those first couple years often late evening bar runs after evening classes.”
…with…
We shared classes the first couple years and often made late bar runs after evening classes, talking geology, music, musical theater, and plays we’d seen and heard until closing.