Date of death: 3/24/2010
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1967
Thomas J. Brune, 69, formerly of Evansville, passed away peacefully at his home with his family by his side.Tom was the eighth child born to Alois and Marie (Olminghof) Brune on March 7, 1941. In his youth, he expressed an interest in electronics, which he inherited from his father who sold the first electric radio in Evansville. He continued this interest into his adulthood and became owner and operator of Brune TV, which was an established successful business in the sales and service of televisions, located on the north and west sides of Evansville. He later worked for the U.S. Postal Service-Poseyville Branch until retirement in 2002. He delivered rural mail in the Posey County area.He attended grade school at St. Boniface and, after his freshman year of high school at Saint Meinrad, graduated from Mater Dei High School in 1959. Later, he attended the University of Cincinnati and University of Evansville. Tom was once a member of MENSA and Evansville West Side Nut Club.He was very creative, and had acquired a patent on a twist-off bottle cap remover called the”Li’l Buddy”, which was marketed and used in the tri-state area. He loved to play clabber and never passed up an opportunity to engage in it whenever circumstances permitted. He was very good at fixing things, and ran a little “Fix It Shop” in Poseyville after retirement. Lovingly known to his family as “Poppy”, he treasured his family in every way.Tom was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Poseyville,He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Paul Brune and Reverend James Brune, and little sister, Lois Marie.Tom is survived by his wife of 48 years, Donna (Debes) Brune; daughters, Tonna Brune and Cindi (Mike) Wolf, and son, Danny Brune; grandchildren, Paul Wolf, Clint Bogard and Jacob Brune; brother, William (Rosemary) Brune of Evansville; sisters, Elizabeth O’Daniel of Omaha, Nebraska; Isabelle Preske and Jeanette Knapp of Evansville; and many nieces and nephews.Memorial contributions may be made to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 10 S. St. Francis Avenue, Poseyville, IN 47633.Published in the Evansville Courier and Press on 3/25/2010.