Lake County Historian dies at 78
Former Merrillville teacher Bruce Woods ‘was always around when people needed him’
On any given day, Bruce Woods could be found at the office, answering emails and talking with people. The back of his head could be seen from his chair upon entrance, and if you knocked on the window, you’d be greeted with a wave and a smile.
Woods, 78 of Merrillville, died Tuesday, after suffering a stroke Dec. 5. He was a friend, a mentor, a teacher and a protector of Northwest Indiana History, among other things, friends said.
Woods served as the President of the Lake County Historical Society and the Merrillville Education Foundation. He ran the Lake County Historical Museum for the Lake County Historical Society and was a teacher at Merrillville High School from 1971 to 1999. Woods also served as the Lake County Historian.
In short, he was everywhere, and he always there, Chris Pappas, who worked with him at the old Lake County Court House, said.
“It’s going to be a tough loss to overcome,” Pappas said. “You’re not going to find anybody that’s going to be willing to do as much as he did for the community, pretty much in a selfless manor. It’s not every day you find those guys.”
Jim Burns Sr., who also worked with Woods in different organizations, said Woods was a mentor and a teacher to many, even after he retired from Merrillville High School, where he taught English.
Woods was the type of person whose main concern was everyone else, Burns said, and he was almost like a parent to some. He was kind, funny and fussy about grammar. He was always around when people needed him.
“He always had humor, he was always very concerned about the individual,” Burns said. “He was like a father to many that needed guidance … it was mentorship
and guidance, and things like that. He was always concerned.”
Though he only worked with Woods for a year or so, Pappas said it was easy to tell how important he was to the community, and he quickly became important to him, too. His death will create a hole in the community and will be felt all around, even past the various organization she worked with.
“Day in and day out he was there,” Pappas said.
“He was involved … he would do (things) for the good of the cause, he wouldn’t do it for his own personal gain. That’s one thing that we’re going to be missing in this generation moving forward, it’s people like that.”
Visitation for Woods is tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, with services following at 12:30 p.m. at Burns Funeral Home & Crematory in Crown Point. The burial will take place at Calumet Park Cemetery in Merrillville.