Dr. Bruce R. MacLaren
July 13, 1943 - March 17, 2021
It is with great sorrow that we share the sad news that Dr. Bruce MacLaren passed away on Wednesday, March 17.
Dr. MacLaren began teaching at EKU in 1969 and went on to become chair of the Department of Natural Sciences for 20 years. He was among the core EKU faculty who founded the EKU honors program in 1988, and he was instrumental in the early development of the program. During those early years, he taught a popular honors science seminar on "Space and Time." A historian of science, he also taught the honors civilization sequence.
An entire generation of EKU honors students testify to his creativity and passion for teaching, as well as the profound impact that Dr. MacLaren had on their lives and learning. He formally mentored more than four dozen honors thesis projects in the program's first two decades, and his informal mentorship and leadership are stuff of legend among his students. Former students describe him as “an elite, thought provoking professor,” “an amazing professor” and “a great mentor to all of us.”
Tributes to Dr. MacLaren poured in on social media from colleagues and students alike. “He was probably best known as the founding coordinator of the Chautauqua Lecture Series, a post he held with honor and distinction for ten years, hence his nickname, Mr. Chautauqua,” explained Dr. Minh Nguyen, former EKU professor and successor to the post. As coordinator of the series that continues to today, Dr. MacLaren brought noted scholars from around the world to speak to the EKU campus community.
“He was my dearest former colleague, friend, mentor and fellow FC Barcelona fan, with whom I enjoyed watching many soccer games,” said Nguyen.
Even after his official retirement from full-time faculty status in 2011, he continued to offer occasional honors seminars at EKU on topics ranging from "Science and the Arts in the Renaissance" to "Cosmopolitanism."
Bruce is survived by his wife Marcia MacLaren (Norland), his son John MacLaren (Mary Ann), his daughter Heather MacLaren, his sister Sue MacLaren (Jensen), his brother-in-law Stephen Norland (Sue) and many nieces and nephews.
The family suggests memorials to the following organizations: EKU Honors Program; Alzheimer’s Association; St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Richmond; Hospice Care Plus, Berea; Compassionate Care Center, Richmond.
A Community Memorial Service for Dr. Bruce MacLaren will be held Friday, October 1, 2021 4-6 p.m.
Please RSVP by September 24 at https://honors.eku.edu/rsvp-bruce-maclaren-memorial for the family to make reception arrangements.
Please join us in sending our thoughts, prayers and condolences to the MacLaren family.