Joseph Bruneau

Joseph Vernon Bruneau, 91, of Worcester, died Saturday, March 30, surrounded by his family. He leaves a wife, Elizabeth, and two sons, Benjamin and Jacob. “Vern” was a devoted husband and father, educator and historian, and a lifelong lover of travelling, learning, caring for his plants, and being outdoors bicycling, jogging, or skiing.

Vern was born to John and Ida (Roy) Bruneau in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, one of six children. His father was a supervisor at a paper mill in Fitchburg, where Vern worked during summers while in college. A leg injury at the mill caused him to be out of work and miss one semester of school, which he later made up. He earned degrees in Economics and Education attending Assumption and Fitchburg State Colleges and the University of Massachusetts. His love of education led to his first teaching job in the Hardwick school system, and then as a US History teacher at Tantasqua Regional High School in Sturbridge, where he taught for many years. He also enjoyed a stint as a History Professor at Nichols College. At UMASS, he was President of Kappa Sigma fraternity, whose members he remained in contact with across decades by attending semi-annual gatherings on Cape Cod. He often enjoyed skiing trips with fraternity brothers during his time in school. He had a particular fondness for foreign cars, owning Porsches, Jaguars, and later in life, several vintage Mercedes-Benz examples he used as daily drivers. He traversed Canada in the 1960’s, travelling coast-to-coast in his beloved Porsche 356B, and extensively explored Europe, skiing and adventuring across the continent. He was a voracious reader and lover of learning, collecting series and volumes on topics from history to fiction both contemporary and classic, often engaging with several books at a time, pausing one only to pick up another. He also consumed the New York Times daily, including meticulously searching for newly identified best-selling books and award-winning movies, all of which would end up on lists that he would systematically make sure to locate and consume. Once retired, he often audited evening classes at local colleges without enrolling when subject matter interested him. In his retirement, he acquired a Reading Specialist certification to allow him to continue helping elementary school students and served as a substitute teacher at the kindergarten level for many years.  

He met Elizabeth (Benjamin) Bruneau at Tantasqua where she was serving as a student teacher, and the two were married in 1971. The couple bought a small house in Charlton after the birth of their first son, Benjamin. When Elizabeth became pregnant again, they moved to a large Victorian home in Southbridge, and Vern performed many of the updates and renovations of the house himself. Jacob was born in 1976 and Vern spent his free time with his young family cross-country skiing, taking them to road races where he often competed as a member of the “Central Mass Strider” running group, attending their games and serving as the boys’ soccer coach, supporting their interests in music and theater, and riding bicycles with them. The family moved to Worcester in the mid 1980’s.

Family vacations included visits to New Hampshire’s White Mountains region, Acadia National Park, and regular visits to Cape Cod. When the boys were older, the family spent portions of summers in the York Beach area of Maine. Many of these trips included the family bringing their bicycles along to encourage exploring the area. Later in life, Vern owned a collection of bicycles, leaving one at each of the properties he often visited in Florida during the winter and on Cape Cod during the summer, allowing him to continue his multiple daily rides, a pattern which continued up until last year.

He maintained an extensive collection of plants, tirelessly tending to them, researching the best individualized care for a particular species, and constantly looking for new varieties to add to his collection. Family members regularly relied on him to nurse ailing plants back to health and examples of plants in his care have been alive for decades.

No attempt to describe Vern can be complete without mention of his handsome smile, quick wit, indelible kindness, and utter ease of demeanor. He was instantly recognizable by his vibrant patterned sportscoats and the effortless way he forged countless friendships across time and place. The family is planning a Celebration of Life in the coming months for friends and family to pay their respects. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF/formerly NHF), Massachusetts General Hospital’s Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, or Rose Monahan Hospice House.