Georgia labor commissioner dies at 59

Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson died more than eight months after announcing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. He was 59.

Thompson, who was born and raised on a farm in Montana and lived in Cartersville, became Georgia’s tenth labor commissioner on Jan. 12, 2023.

“Bruce always lived his life according to the teachings of the Bible and never feared from spreading his love for the Church with others. He continued his life of public service as Georgia’s Department of Labor Commissioner, where he made significant changes to improve workforce outcomes for citizens across the state,” Republican Lt. Governor Burt Jones said in a statement. “…Bruce will be dearly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”

Jones served with Thompson in the state Senate.

On March 15, Thompson announced he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

“I can assure you I will continue to be who I have always been – a fighter,” he said in a statement at the time. “From the start, my life has been full of what seem like insurmountable challenges, but I’ve never given up and this farm boy from Montana doesn’t intend to start now.”