Bruce Anderson, 81

Bruce Woodruff Anderson passed away in Chicago with loved ones at his side on Monday, December 29, 2025. He was a kind and engaging man who sought to love and serve God, his family, and others.

Bruce was born in Boulder City, Nevada, on June 29, 1944. He moved with his family to Tennessee as an infant and graduated from Oak Ridge High School. He enjoyed participating in the marching band then and later, in college. He attended Brigham Young University before and after his two-year church mission to Northern Mexico. He loved the Mexican people and maintained fluent Spanish for the rest of his life.

After his return to BYU, Bruce met Susan Albrechtsen on a blind date and recognized her as someone special. They were married two years later in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 27, 1968. Their family began to grow while he attended dental school at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, and it eventually included six children. The family relocated to Normal, Illinois, and he was a well-respected dentist in neighboring Bloomington for over 40 years.

Susan preceded Bruce in death in 2019. After her death, he felt extremely blessed to court Paula Schildt, and they married on March 7, 2020, in Normal, Illinois. He and Paula were able to have several wonderful years together in Woodstock, Illinois, often traveling to visit family and friends from years gone by. 

Bruce was a sincere and trustworthy man, was good-natured, and curious, and loved the outdoors. He was a personable conversationalist who was genuinely interested in everyone he met. He loved conversing with and learning from others and gained numerous lasting friendships throughout his life.  He loved working with young people and, in his estimation, led “at least 100 groups of family, youth, or young adults on canoe trips.” He was active in supporting good causes in the community and expressed his love for Jesus Christ by serving faithfully in his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his entire life. He was a loving husband and was both diligent and patient as a father and grandfather.

Bruce will be greatly missed, but we know he is in a wonderful place and that our separation from him is only temporary. Our Christian belief teaches that marriage and families continue after this life, into eternity, so the time he’s shared with family so far is just a beginning.

Bruce is survived by his second wife, Paula, of Woodstock, IL; four sons, Taylor (Teresa), of Gilbert, AZ; Trent (LaRae), of Gilbert, AZ; Grant (Alena), of Mesa, AZ; Garrett (Jeanie), of Commerce City, CO; two daughters, Julia Crenshaw (Brent), of Woodstock, IL; Carma Sheehan (Ian), of Mildenhall, England; 25 grandchildren; his brother, Richard Anderson (Kelli), of Gardendale, AL. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Susan Albrechtsen, his son, Nephi, his parents Duane and Pearl Anderson, and his brother, Jerry Anderson.

We will be holding two memorial services to celebrate his life, on Sunday, January 18 at 5:00 pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1628 W Hovey Ave, Normal, IL, and Monday, January 19, at 6:00 pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016 Hartland Rd, Woodstock, IL. All six of his children will be in attendance at both services, and there will be time to visit with the family after both services. Feel free to bring, send, or post written memories, pictures, etc. for the family to add to their memories of Bruce. There will be no conventional viewing, funeral, or graveside service, as he and Susan both chose to donate their bodies for medical research, in hopes that they can continue to improve the lives of those around them.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bruce’s memory can be made to The Humanitarian Aid Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which funds emergency response efforts around the world. (https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/humanitarian-services/funds/humanitarian-general-fund)