Henry Williamson Bruner ‘60 died on January 12, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio.
(The following was provided by the family on January 12, 2026:)
Henry Williamson Bruner ’60 died on January 12, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio.
Henry Williamson (Bill) Bruner was born in Chicago on April 8, 1938. He was the son of Henry Pfeiffer Bruner and Marjorie Williamson Bruner. He was raised in Racine, Wisconsin, as the eldest of five brothers.
He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and was on the staff at the Philmont Scout Ranch in the summers of 1954-56. During seminary he served as the chaplain at Camp Betz Boy Scout camp in Michigan. As part of his scouting experience, he developed a life-long admiration for Abraham Lincoln.
Bill graduated from Bowdoin College in 1960, with honors in German. In 1965, he graduated from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His ordination as a United Church of Christ pastor was held in Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 12, 1965. He developed his counseling skills in 1975 by earning a master of arts degree in Guidance and Counseling from Roosevelt University. While serving as a pastor, he completed his Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He became a board-certified chaplain in 1988.
Bill met Martha Louise Hurst while they were both studying at the University of Chicago. She is the daughter of Hilda Harper Hurst and Floyd Harvey Hurst of Angola, New York. They were married on August 15, 1965, at the Angola Congregational Church UCC in Angola, New York.
Bill and Marty welcomed their daughter Mary, born January 30, 1971, and their son Chris, born February 12, 1973. Both children are the joy of their lives.
Bill was a kind man with a servant’s heart which arose from his deep Christian faith. He had a special sensitivity to the needs of others. Starting in 1967, he served four UCC churches as well as several interim pastorates.
In 1987, he completed training in clinical pastoral education which led to a career as a hospice, hospital, and prison chaplain. He possessed a unique ability to connect with others, and to meet their spiritual needs.
Bill translated his faith into action through his service to his community. He had a special interest in diversity, which was manifested in his outreach to people of other faiths and cultures.
In addition to his work with diversity, he sought to improve the lives of vulnerable community members. Bill served as former president of the board of directors of the Samaritan Counseling Center in Elyria, Ohio. He was a member of the FBI Task Force on Hate Crimes in Cleveland. He was also former president of the board of directors of Family Promise of Lorain County, Ohio, which provided housing support to homeless families. He served as chaplain on the Kiros Team, which brought the Christian message to inmates at the Grafton Correctional Institution. He was disaster mental health counselor on disaster relief operations for the Red Cross of Lorain County, Ohio.
Spirituality was an integral part of Bill’s life. He became a spiritual director through the Shalem Institute in 2002. He participated in the Walk to Emmaus, a spiritual renewal retreat.
Bill enjoyed traveling, classical music and opera. He did award-winning needlepoint pictures and pillows. He also researched and compiled the history of the Williamson family, which is published in Our Bruner Family by Philip Bruner. He cherished family time and the yearly Bruner family reunion.
Bill passed away from Alzheimer’s disease on January 12, 2026. He was surrounded by his loving family and devoted caregivers. He is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Martha (Marty) Bruner, his son, Chris Bruner, his daughter, Mary Bruner Rutherford (Mark), brothers Bob (Bobbie), Phil (Margee), sister-in-law Beth, and his cherished nieces and nephews.