John Pius Bruni's Obituary
John Pius Bruni was born in Allentown, PA in January of 1930. He was the son of Victor Domenic Bruni and Pia Maciocia. Both of his parents were born in Ceccano, Italy. John entered the Catholic seminary in 1947 at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Shelby, Ohio. He remained in the priesthood until the early 1970s. In 1972, He married Eileen Bree.
John earned numerous Masters’ Degrees during his lifetime. These included: a Master of Arts Degree from Northwestern University in 1960; a Master of Science in Speech Communication and Drama from North Texas State University in 1974; and a Master of Arts in Urban Affairs from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1980.
During the late 1960s, John returned to Italy to care for his aging father. A fellow priest who knew both John and Eileen separately, said, “John, there’s an American girl In Rome – look her up and give her a good meal.” John met up with Eileen and they walked around Lake Albano.
They kept in touch for 6-7 years. Eventually John left the priesthood in late 1970 and relocated to New Jersey; around the same time, Eileen left the Sisters Community and got a job in New Jersey. Eileen and John reunited and married in 1972. Shortly after, John was offered a job in Texas where he and Eileen lived their 48 years together. Eileen passed away on July 28th, 2020.
John and Eileen spent their married life in the Dallas area. John worked in social services and education during his career. He served on the North Central Texas Council of Governments in Arlington. He then served as the Director of the Area Agency on Aging up until his retirement.
Eileen served as the Director of ARC (Association for the physically and mentally challenged) until her retirement.
John was a lifelong student of theology, the arts, and politics. He kept up to date with leading theologians, including Professor Charles Curran at Catholic University and SMU. He and Eileen attended his lectures at SMU. John cared deeply for the marginalized, the hurting and the needy. He continually practiced his faith in many ways throughout his long life.
John is survived by his nephew, John Bontempi who resides in New Jersey with his family – his wife Moira, daughter Gabrielle and son Zachary. John and Eileen were also godparents to Lauren Ketchum and played a treasured role in her life. Both John and Eileen will be dearly missed by all those who loved and cherished them.
Funeral services to be held at Restland Cemetery in the Wildwood Chapel on Thursday, May 9th at 10 AM. Interment immediately following at the Court of Gabriel in Restland.
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