Robert Bruce (Bob) Lyons, 87, died May 7, 2026 after 3 months of serious health issues. He was born Sept. 18, 1938, to Patrick B. Lyons and Margie Franklin Lyons in Oak Park, IL. His brother, Richard Patrick Lyons preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Kaminski Lyons; their children, Mike S. Lyons (Doreen), John P. Lyons and Mary C. Lyons; granddaughters, Ashley Lyons Bell (Wyatt) and Haley Lyons (Kamron Rechlin); and great-granddaughter, Reigna Bell. Bob graduated from J. Sterling Morton High School and earned a BS in history and a Master's degree from NIU. He was a high school teacher for 32 years at Barrington, Conant and Hoffman Estates high schools and was the Social Science Department chair for 22 years. During his 30 years at HEHS he coached girls and boys cross country. Bob served in the Air Force in the late 50's and early 60's and was called to active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis; after a car breakdown he had to hitchhike to O'Hare from Fox Lake in full flight uniform. Bob and Nancy were married 63 years and bought their first home in Hoffman Estates where they lived for 54 years. Six years ago they moved to Friendship Village, now Encore Village. Bob was a regular contributor to the weekly Current Events program sharing his knowledge of politics. In his spare time Bob served on the Schaumburg Township District Library Board for 44 years and was part of the team that built the new library. Bob was a member of Local 1211 of the Northwestern Suburban Teachers Union and in his retirement Bob was proud to have served for 12 years on the Illinois Teachers Retirement System pension board. He enjoyed keeping teachers informed about their retirement funds and visited retired teacher groups throughout northern Ill. Bob was always an avid reader of books including topics such as alternative history, the Civil War, and thrillers. He passed his love of reading on to his children. Bob was faithful to his family and friends and always made the effort to keep in touch through letters, emails, Facebook and his year-round hobby of sending cards. He sent birthday cards to many of the women he had coached over the decades and then sent cards to their children. Many babies of former XC runners received pop-up books their first year. One of Bob's favorite ways to support teachers was through www.donorschoose.com. By his donations he was able to support former students who became teachers to receive books and supplies. In consideration of Bob's passion for reading please consider a donation to to Dominican University School of Library and Information Science. Donations in Bob's name can be made at www.dom.edu.

Schaumburg Library mourns former trustee Robert Lyons Served 44 years on board By Eric Peterson (epeterson@dailyherald.com)

Former Schaumburg Township District Library Trustee Robert Lyons is being mourned by longtime colleagues following his death Thursday at the age of 87. He served 44 years on the board from 1969 to 2013 and helped guide the library through an era of extraordinary growth, innovation and community service, library officials said. He oversaw the transformation of an initially small facility into one of the largest and most respected public libraries in Illinois. “Bob Lyons leaves behind an extraordinary legacy not only for Schaumburg Township District Library but also for libraries across Illinois,” Executive Director Annie Miskewitch said. “His leadership, steady stewardship, and unwavering belief in the value of public libraries helped shape this organization into the trusted and vibrant community resource it is today.” Lyons grew up in Cicero at a time when he said it was prejudiced, narrow-minded and run by “the syndicate.” However, the local library provided a ray of light, he said at the time of his retirement. “Growing up, the library was extraordinarily important to me,” Lyons said. “Through the library, I learned there was another world, a larger world.” His service earned him numerous honors, including the Illinois Library Association Trustee Citation Award in 2002 and the American Library Association Trustee Citation Award in 2005. A memorial visitation is 2-5 p.m. Sunday at Ahlgrim & Sons Funeral and Cremation Services, 330 W. Golf Road in Schaumburg. A funeral Mass is 10 a.m. Monday, May 18, at Holy Archangels Parish at St. Hubert Catholic Church, 729 Grand Canyon St. in Hoffman Estates.Wake: Sunday, May 17 at Algrim Funeral Home, 330 W. Golf Rd, Schaumburg from 2-5pm.