Terry L. Bruce, 82, of Olney, passed away April 17, 2026 at Memorial Hospital, Springfield, IL.

Terry L. Bruce was born March 25, 1944 in Olney, IL to Lloyd and Janie (Skelton) Bruce. He married Charlotte A. Bruce on January 31, 1965.

Terry is survived by daughter Emily Bruce of Centreville, VA; daughter Ellen Bruce and husband Joe Rupcich of Springfield, IL; brother Kenneth (Rosalind) Bruce of Springfield, IL; sister-in-law Janas (Dusty) Burton of Downs, IL; brother-in-law Pete (Paulette) Roberts of Springfield, IL; brother-in-law Chad (Mary) Roberts of Atlanta, GA and several beloved family members.

He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents and his beloved in-laws Ansel Chadwick "Sonny" Roberts and Jacquelyn (Davisson) Roberts.

Terry attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and then later the University of Illinois College of Law. He worked at the United States Department of Labor on issues related to farmworkers and on the staffs of Tom McGloon, Congressman George Shipley and State Senator Philip Benefiel.

He practiced law at the Shumaker and Bruce Law Office in Olney and in 1970, he was elected to the Illinois State Senate. He was part of the Democratic Study Group referred to as the “Crazy 8” and also served as assistant majority leader from 1975-1984.

From 1984-1992, he served as U.S. Representative for the 19th Congressional District of Illinois. While in Congress, his focus was on legislation that would improve the lives of people in the district. A member of the Energy & Commerce and Agriculture committees, among others, he worked on bills to protect food safety, on the Clean Air Act, a number of health care bills and worker retraining programs. He also authored the Plastic Recycling Act and sponsored the Home Health Care Act providing support to the families of Alzheimer’s patients. One of his proudest achievements was securing funding for the establishment of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications in his district.

From 1996 to 2019, Terry served as the chief executive officer of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC) where he focused on programs that would serve every kind of student, from single mothers to workforce retraining to building a nursing program to best serve the local communities. During his tenure with IECC, he was appointed to the Illinois Community College Board. In 2023, the IECC board renamed and dedicated the Terry L. Bruce West Richland Center in Noble, IL in his honor.

He served on the board of the Mt. Carmel Public Utility Company for over 30 years, becoming the C.E.O and Chairman of the Board in 2014. He served in both positions until his passing.

While Terry was incredibly successful throughout his careers in politics, higher education and public utility work, he considered his best jobs to be husband and dad. His love for his wife Charlotte was one for the ages. Married for almost 60 years, they built a life together that included lots of adventures, laughs and ice cream. Although his work often called him away, his universe squarely revolved around his family, especially his two daughters. His “girls” remained his highest priority until the end, introducing them to anyone who walked into his room and as a proud dad, serving as their public relations managers to anyone he talked to and adding Joe to the roster when he joined the family. Anyone who knew Terry knew they had a cheerleader for life, someone who would greet them with a smile and infectious laugh, and most importantly, make time for them.

Terry loved being at his farm, sitting on the porch with Charlotte, watching the deer and birds. Later in life, he picked up bread baking as a hobby and delivered many loaves of his special recipe “Charlotte loaf” to friends. He had a massive cast iron collection that he used to make vast quantities of butter bean soup, chili and peach cobbler. He was known for remembering everyone’s birthday and lighting up when hearing good news, especially the addition of a new child or grandchild. He made friends wherever he went and charmed every nurse and CNA who cared for him over the last few months, with many of them sharing with his daughters that they loved getting to know and care for their dad. A special thank you to his caregivers and friends who spent time with him over the last two years. He missed being in Olney but friends visiting him along with the welcome he received from friends and family in Springfield made Dad feel right at home. He also loved receiving cards and messages from friends near and far.

Terry believed in our democracy and the importance of voting in every election, from the school board to the office of the President. As a way to honor Terry, please make a plan, grab a friend and go vote in November.

Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home in Olney, IL is in charge of arrangements.

The Visitation for Terry L. Bruce will be from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Friday, April 24th, 2026 at Kistler-Patterson Funeral Home in Olney, with the Funeral Service beginning at 10:00am on Saturday, April 25th.

Memorials can be sent to the Olney Public Library or to World Central Kitchen.