A Memorial Service for Carey Bruce Woods, 74, will be held at 10 am on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Calvary Baptist Church, with Mike Click officiating.

Carey Bruce Woods, of Brownfield, Texas, passed away on October 18, 2026, at Covenant. Bruce was born May 26, 1952, in Abilene, Texas, and attended schools in Seagraves and Levelland, Texas. Sports were his thing. At Levelland High School, he excelled in both basketball and baseball, yet still made time to serve as drum major for the Levelland High School band.

He attended Texas Tech University before marriage, military service, and a growing family took his life in a different direction. He married Phyllis Rummel in 1971, beginning nearly 55 years of marriage. Together, they built a life centered on family, friendship, and service to their community. They had two sons, Christopher Brian and William Brent. No dad could have been prouder of those two boys.

Bruce served in the Texas Army National Guard from 1972 to 1978, including a period of active duty from June through December 1972. Bruce began his career in finance at S.I.C. Credit Company in Levelland in January 1973. In 1977, he became a loan officer at Tri County Savings and Loan in Muleshoe, where he worked until the family moved to Brownfield in 1983. He continued his career at Brownfield Savings and Loan and later at First National Bank of Brownfield, where he worked until his retirement in 2019, just in time to be confined at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bruce was a community man. He felt an obligation to give back as much as possible to the community that supported him and his family. He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, and Rotary International. He also served on various city, county, civic organization, and church boards. He held a special place in his heart for the Brownfield Industrial Development Corporation and the Brownfield Housing Authority. In 1992, he was named Terry County Citizen of the Year.

Bruce began officiating football games to earn extra money and ended up falling in love with it. He belonged to the Lubbock Chapter and officiated games for nearly 15 years, whether the temperature was 100 degrees or minus 19 degrees. He especially enjoyed the camaraderie with his fellow officials and the interactions with coaches and players, even when they could be a little difficult. Those years provided him with plenty of good stories to tell.

Bruce had lots of happy places. He loved fly fishing, especially on the Pecos River in New Mexico. He was a devoted golfer, a pretty mean poker player, and an avid bird hunter, even in below-zero temperatures. He also loved watching Texas Tech sports, especially the basketball team. All of these things became family traditions.

Bruce had a personality that was hard to miss, whether in a room full of people or in a lively phone conversation with a close friend. A loyal friend and a man of his word, he loved a good story, a spirited debate, and a hearty laugh. He wasn't shy about telling you what he thought or playing devil's advocate to offer a different perspective, and he could always be counted on when someone needed him.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, William Edgar "Bill" Woods and Myrna Joyce Woods; his maternal grandparents, Jack and Mae Hendricks; Tony and Maxine Reeves. 

He is survived by his wife, Phyllis Woods of Brownfield; his sons, Brian Woods of Frisco, Texas, and Brent Woods of Lubbock, Texas; his brother, Brad Woods and wife Barbara of Denver City, Texas; his niece, and husband Chris of Sachse, Texas; his nephew, Brady Woods Rummel of Lubbock, Texas; his aunts, Delores Robertson and Alice Cuthers; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Brownfield United Way Fund or a charity of your choice.

** This obituary was written by the family of Mr. Wood**