Peter Merritt Bruner was born on August 11, 1940 in San Francisco, California to Daniel E. and Annabelle W. Bruner. He died at home on June 11, 2021 after a twenty year battle with Parkinson ’s disease.
At the age of ten, Pete’s family moved to Olympia, WA. Pete graduated from Olympia High School in 1958. He worked at the Olympia YMCA as a camp counselor and taught swimming lessons. He attended Whitman College, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Education. During his college years, he worked for two summers at the Flying Horseshoe Ranch in Cle Elum as a camp counselor. Their campground was at Spirit Lake, a place where he loved to go. He even climbed Mount St. Helens once. Then he worked at the Walla Walla YMCA as a swimming teacher and coach, continuing in that capacity until 1968.
Pete served in the Washington State National Guard from 1962 to 1968.
It was in 1968 that Pete was hired by Aberdeen School District to teach swimming lessons to their students. Pete continued in this career until his retirement in 1997. He invented games and make believe licenses so that young children would have fun and forget about being afraid of the water. He also coached the high school swim teams, and the YMCA swim team, for several years. From 1997 to 2010, Pete was a Realtor for Windermere of Grays Harbor. He helped many people buy and sell homes, always putting the needs of his customers first.
Pete married Dolores Hiles on June 16, 1975. She survives him at the family home in Aberdeen, WA. He is also survived by three of their children: Sarah Carossino of Cosmopolis, Wa., Christopher Bruner of Edmonds, WA., and Timothy Bruner of Fort Worth, Texas. Their son, Jonathan Bruner died in 1981. Pete is also survived by his brother, Daniel E. Bruner Jr. of Olympia WA., four nieces, six nephews, and two grandchildren.
Pete was a member of Grays Harbor Foursquare Church. Prior to that, he was a member of Open Bible Church. He was active in both churches, serving in many capacities over the years. Pete was known for his sense of humor, patterned after his father’s sense of humor. He loved to tell jokes and make puns to bring joy into our lives. He also loved Disneyland, and went there one year after it opened. He returned every chance he got, taking his family there on vacation four times. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Peter Bruner, please visit our flower store.
At the age of ten, Pete’s family moved to Olympia, WA. Pete graduated from Olympia High School in 1958. He worked at the Olympia YMCA as a camp counselor and taught swimming lessons. He attended Whitman College, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Education. During his college years, he worked for two summers at the Flying Horseshoe Ranch in Cle Elum as a camp counselor. Their campground was at Spirit Lake, a place where he loved to go. He even climbed Mount St. Helens once. Then he worked at the Walla Walla YMCA as a swimming teacher and coach, continuing in that capacity until 1968.
Pete served in the Washington State National Guard from 1962 to 1968.
It was in 1968 that Pete was hired by Aberdeen School District to teach swimming lessons to their students. Pete continued in this career until his retirement in 1997. He invented games and make believe licenses so that young children would have fun and forget about being afraid of the water. He also coached the high school swim teams, and the YMCA swim team, for several years. From 1997 to 2010, Pete was a Realtor for Windermere of Grays Harbor. He helped many people buy and sell homes, always putting the needs of his customers first.
Pete married Dolores Hiles on June 16, 1975. She survives him at the family home in Aberdeen, WA. He is also survived by three of their children: Sarah Carossino of Cosmopolis, Wa., Christopher Bruner of Edmonds, WA., and Timothy Bruner of Fort Worth, Texas. Their son, Jonathan Bruner died in 1981. Pete is also survived by his brother, Daniel E. Bruner Jr. of Olympia WA., four nieces, six nephews, and two grandchildren.
Pete was a member of Grays Harbor Foursquare Church. Prior to that, he was a member of Open Bible Church. He was active in both churches, serving in many capacities over the years. Pete was known for his sense of humor, patterned after his father’s sense of humor. He loved to tell jokes and make puns to bring joy into our lives. He also loved Disneyland, and went there one year after it opened. He returned every chance he got, taking his family there on vacation four times. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Peter Bruner, please visit our flower store.
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