Bruce Carl Woods

Bruce Carl Woods joined the Kingdom of Heaven on June 24, 2024, after courageously battling a rare cancer (esophageal) for nearly two years. Bruce left this Earth peacefully, in his home, surrounded by his loving family. He was only 64-years-old. Bruce was born at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, on October the 6th, 1959, the first son to the late Jack L. Woods and Freida Y. Woods (Oechsler). Bruce spent his childhood in both Delaware and in Missouri, where he made many friends and memories along the way, before Bruce and his family permanently put down roots in Delaware. After finishing high school, Bruce went on to spend a majority of his career as an automotive and small engine mechanic.

For many years, Bruce was the proud owner of Busy Bee Equipment in Camden, Delaware, where he built many lasting bridges and where he made many friends along the way. Making friends came naturally for Bruce, as his witty humor, his goofy pranks, his laid back attitude, and his generosity with helping people made it easy for him to connect with others. Bruce loved the outdoors and he was one with nature. An avid hunter, Bruce would eagerly await any opportunity to meet up with his closest friends to go on hunting trips. Before Bruce's Father took ill, Bruce loved to do various outdoors activities together and to work in the garage with Jack, as they shared a particularly special bond. Even following his difficult diagnosis, Bruce would still find a way to go hunting, to take walks in the woods, or to bring out his 4-wheeler.

Along with being a passionate outdoorsman, Bruce was excellent with his hands, possessing incredible skills with carpentry, plumbing, auto body work, and with electrician work. Bruce would routinely use his skills as a handyman to help his friends, his family, and even strangers in need, without asking for a dime in return. In his youth, Bruce loved to play music, he loved to watch TV, particularly “The Brady Bunch” and “Kung Fu”, as well as participating in various sports. Bruce was also a skilled practitioner of aikido, wrestling, and judo. Bruce would routinely train with his younger brother, Jimmy, and Bruce taught some of his techniques to his other younger brother, Mike. Bruce even allowed Mike to convince him to watch “Rick and Morty” together.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, Freida Y. and Jack L. Woods, along with his paternal grandparents, Walter and Mildred Woods, his maternal grandparents, Amy and Gilbert Oechsler Sr., as well as his paternal uncles, Jay, Gene, and Steve Woods, and by his paternal aunts Wanda Hensley, Jo Jones, and Maybelle Nelson, Bruce’s maternal uncles, Bill and Gilbert “Jim” Oechsler Jr., along with Bruce’s beloved basset hound, Sir Droopy D.

Bruce is survived by all of his siblings, which includes his sisters, Brenda Buchanan and Kathy Woods, his brothers, Mike Connor and Jimmy Woods, Jimmy’s wife, Angel Woods, his nephews, David Buchanan and J Evans, his nieces, Mariah Evans, Seneca Kirsh, and Sierra McNatt, his cousins, Ronny, Gary, and Ryan Hurd, along with countless other cousins, uncles, aunts, and friends whom Bruce considered to be family, namely his close friend who Bruce claimed as a brother since his teenage years, Bobby Pritchett.

Bruce will be dearly missed by his family, by his friends, and by all of the lives that he touched. Viewing and funeral services will be held on Monday, July 1, 2024, with a visitation starting at 12 noon, and funeral at 1 PM, at the Melvin’s Funeral Home, 15522 South DuPont Highway, Harrington, Delaware. Interment will be held at Mt. Olive Cemetery, Sandtown, DE.

Flowers are welcome, as well as donations to the American Cancer Society’s Esophageal Cancer Research Fund ( https://donate.cancer.org/?campaign=esophagealcancermedia ), and to the National Wildlife Federation ( https://support.nwf.org/page/58307/donate/1 ).

Arrangements are entrusted to the Thomas E. Melvin & Son Funeral Home, please visit us at www.melvinfuneralhome.com to express or send condolences.