Alan Martin Bruns

Alan M. Bruns

Alan Martin Bruns, 82, a retired reporter and editor died Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at his home in Falls Run, Fredericksburg. He had been in hospice care since mid-September. His death was attributed to congestive heart failure.

He was born April 16, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, a son of the late Mary Bryan Bruns and John D. Bruns. Both Mary and John Bruns were originally from New Orleans and Alan had a deep affection for that city.

His real love was the newspaper business. A year out of the University of Virginia, he was jobless when a family friend suggested he try working as a reporter for the Charlottesville Progress, then a family-owned newspaper. Mr. Bruns said after a few days he knew he had found what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He was a demon two fingered typist, a dogged reporter, and a careful copy editor. He was avid at covering politics and government and in keeping meetings open to the public and on the record. He knew well the political rhythms of government and was fond of writing about them in columns set in an imaginary village in rural Virginia.

His newspaper career took him from The Daily Progress in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was city editor to the Richmond Times Dispatch and back to the Progress as a reporter and state editor and then to the Washington Star. After the Star closed in 1982, Mr. Bruns worked part time for the Washington Times. His last job was at the Congressional Record Index Office.

Mr. Bruns is survived by his wife, Nancy Talmont Bruns, who was his prime caregiver; a son, Bryan R. Bruns of Bloomington, Indiana; two daughters, Mary Anderson Bruns of Seagrove Beach, Florida and Cameron Talmont Vardeman of Centreville, Virginia; nine grandchildren, Alma Asay of New York City, Logan A. Asay of Silver Spring Maryland, Joseph Asay of Seagrove Beach, Florida, Katharine V. Stoddard of Richmond, William A. Vardeman and Hallie M. Vardeman of Centreville, Lily Bruns of Lakeland, Florida, Robin Bruns of Bloomington, Indiana, and Netapong Sappermpun of Seagrove Beach, Florida; a sister, Mary K. Ascher of San Francisco; and two brothers, Albert M. Bruns and Scott Bruns of Seagrove Beach, Florida; and many cousins and other relatives. His marriage to Jean Randolph Bruns terminated in divorce.

Mr. Bruns 's parents fled urban life for the country when Alan was about five and he grew up at his grandparents' summer home, Dungannon, in Buckingham County, Virginia, on the James River near Howardsville. He bloomed in the country atmosphere and as an adult, he enjoyed visits to the old house and to the village of Howardsville. The Brunses never missed a reunion with Scottsville High School classmates. His website Howardsville-Some-History tells his story of growing up in the country.

Mr. Bruns was a self- taught genealogist and enjoyed collecting family histories. He was a descendant of early settlers of Charleston, South Carolina, and he particularly liked visiting that city. Through his mother, he descended from prominent New England families. He also enjoyed other people's family histories and he had been extremely supportive of Nancy Bruns' work with her family and with the Fredericksburg Oral History project. He devoted the last years of his life to making scrapbooks of family histories and of subjects interesting to himself, including his work at The Daily Progress.

Mr. Bruns also loved trains going back, in part, to his experience as a CandO telegrapher during World War II when high school students were trained and hired to replace essential railroad personnel who had been called to service in the Army Signal Corps. Mr. Bruns returned to Scottsville High School for his senior year. He then entered the University of Virginia where he roomed with many military veterans.

All of his experiences were fodder for his repertoire of stories, jokes, and comments on life. Many are reflected on his website.

Nancy Bruns joined him in many of his interests and the couple grew very interested in Civil War history after moving here in 1995. They also were supportive of the historic preservation movement for many years and enjoyed nothing more than a visit to a historic house. Alan was particularly fond of the Rising Sun Tavern where Nancy was a guide (wench). He said he liked telling people calling for his wife that Mrs. Bruns had just gone down to the tavern.

The service for Mr. Bruns will be at Covenant Funeral Service in Fredericksburg Chapel 2:30 p.m. Saturday, October 24, 2009.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the American Heart Association, 4217 Park Place, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060, a favorite charity, or to the Falls Run Villas, 101 Bridgewater Circle, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406, Attn: Landscaping Improvement Project for Benches.

On-line guestbook available at covenantfuneralservice.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.