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Obituary-Paul Bruneau

(30 Oct 1931 - 7 August 2011)

On 16 October 2011 David Kammer wrote:

Today I learned that Paul Bruneau (Damian Andrew 1951) died August 7th, 2011.

Judy and I have been very close to Paul. He and Roy Mooney were at our wedding. Paul lived on Candlewood Lake in New Milford CT when we lived in Connecticut. We visited one another often. In later years Paul had a place near his sisters in Davenport, Florida. We visited there as well, always having beneficial exchanges on spirituality and religion, as well as cherished memories of our Marist friends and our Marist lives. Paul loved and appreciated Marists All and supported it very generously. On at least one occasion he traveled with us to the Mount for a GMC picnic. In September of 1994 we flew into Rome from different directions, then took Alitalia together to visit Greece for a week. On our return to Rome the three of us had a rendezvous with Roy Mooney in St. Peters Piazza and lunched together in a little restaurant on a side street.

Some time ago Paul developed Parkinsons disease, which led him to move two or three years ago to live with his brother Bernard in Dayton OH, where he was able to have care for his increasing illness.

I phoned Dayton today with the purpose of telling Paul that we miss our visits with him and that we are thinking of him and praying for him, only to hear about his death from Bernie. As his Parkinsons advanced to a serious stage, he refused surgery. On August 7th he took an afternoon nap and died peacefully in his sleep at 3 p.m. He would have be 80 years of age on October 30th, 2011. During the Thanksgiving weekend the family will gather for a memorial Mass for Paul. His ashes will be buried in a family lot in Burlington, VT

The only obituary for Paul is a short one that appeared in the Burlington Free Press. It only refers to his deceased parents and one brother, and to three living sisters and Bernie.

Paul wrote for the September 1999 issue of Marists All:

After a year in Lumen Vitae in Brussels (1966-1967) and a half-year at the second novitiate in Fribourg (Fall 1967)with Ethelred, I was assigned to Trumbull. I left the brothers in 1970. I retired from the classroom in July of 1992 after 35 years in secondary education: 14 years with the Brothers and 21 years teaching Introduction to College Psychology in Ridgefield, Connecticut. While there I also did stress management workshops for teachers; CEU seminars; adult ed and undergrad psychology at the local state university. Now that I am retired, unmarried, and living in a big house, call me or drop in if you are in western Connecticut.

Paul wrote a second time for the April 2001 issue of Marists All:

I had the best Marists All experience of a lifetime March 7 through 9th. David and Gus and I drove together to Miami to have some quality time with both active and retired Brothers. On the first day we enjoyed the warm welcome of Bernie Xavier, Mike Brady, Cornelius, and Manuel. Shared memories, double Manhattans, and a wonderfully prepared steak dinner reminiscent of the old cremaillieres. Great Marist hospitality! Brady, you're a great chef! At Chanel's place Paul Ambrose and I sat by the pool and talked about old times, as Gus and David napped! Our late afternoon visit with Charlie Filiatrault, Damian Victor, Bobby Ryan, Fabian, and Simeon was so warm, nostalgic, and genuine.
By the time we left Miami I was on emotional overload: Bobby Ryan is in my group of '51. Back came the days at Dubois with Charlie, the Mount days with Simeon, the great days in Lawrence with Chanel, and the wonderful days as a scholastic with Paul Ambrose at the helm. We truly are Marists All! My thanks to all.

Source: Original Marists All Site

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