Patrick Mason Brunner

Patrick "Pat" Mason Brunner, 64 of Philadelphia, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 after a courageous struggle with Parkinson’s and dementia. He was the loving husband of Marjorie Jo (nee Feichter) Brunner. With a quick wit and an infectious laugh that you would frequently hear before you knew Pat was in the room, he could always be counted on to bring humor to challenging situations. Extremely organized, Pat was a problem solver and always tried to bring out the best in others. A lover of music, he played the saxophone in his grade school, high school and university marching bands and retained a lifelong fondness for the Beatles, The Band and Todd Rundgren. Pat was treasured by his family for his kind-hearted spirit. Above all, Pat was happiest being a Dad and Granddad. He excelled in that role and found great joy in being an active presence in the lives of his family. 

Born on December 4th, 1957 in Fort Wayne, IN, Pat was the son of the late Raymond and Agnes (nee Mason) Brunner. He grew up in the St. Jude Catholic Church parish in Fort Wayne where he attended grade school. He went on to Bishop Dwenger High School. After being in the same class since the first grade, Pat asked Margie to attend the homecoming dance their senior year of high school. They were together ever after. Pat graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 with a Bachelor of Architecture. The couple married in St. Jude Catholic Church on June 11, 1982 and, after briefly living in Philadelphia, settled in Indianapolis. While working at Woollen, Molzan and Partners, Pat’s designs were commissioned to serve as the official State of Indiana memorials for World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He later designed the Indiana Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial. 

In 2002, Pat took a job with his old architecture firm in Philadelphia, EwingCole. His family became members of St. Patrick Catholic Church where Pat served as an usher. While at EwingCole, Pat’s favorite projects were buildings constructed for Princeton Theological Seminary, Geisinger Medical Center and Anne Arundel Community College. At home, Pat found real joy in helping to invigorate his neighborhood, serving on the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood Association while in Indianapolis. After Pat retired as the Executive Director of Facilities at West Chester University due to his health in December 2018, he worked tirelessly to keep his Graduate Hospital neighborhood clean.  

In addition to Margie; Pat is survived by his three children, Michelle (nee Brunner) Wojcicki and her husband, Robert of Baltimore, MD, Phillip Brunner of Philadelphia and Michael Brunner of New York City; two grandchildren, Charles "Charlie" Robert Wojcicki and Sophie Louise Wojcicki; a sister, Beth Brunner; a brother-in-law Neil Bryson; and a brother, Burt Brunner and his wife, Ann. Pat is predeceased by his sister, Nancee (nee Brunner) Bryson.

Family and friends are welcome to gather at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 242 S 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 at 10:30 am. Prayers will begin at 11 am.

Pat will then return home to Fort Wayne, IN where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 17th, 2022 at 10:30 AM in St. Jude Catholic Church, 2130 Pemberton Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46805. Family and friends are welcome to gather from 10:00 AM onwards.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Catholic School, 2110 Pemberton Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46805 https://www.osvhub.com/stjudefw/giving/funds, the Magnifying Christ’s Light capital campaign at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 242 S 20th St, Philadelphia PA 19103 https://www.givecentral.org/appeals-form-registration/acp622a658b456b0/user/guest or to Penn Medicine Rehabilitation, 1800 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19146 https://www.pennmedicine.org/giving/ways-to-give.