Jack Brunton

BRUNTON, Jack Dean, passed away peacefully at home on October 16, 2010 at the age of 80. Jack was born January 6, 1930 in Jackson, Ohio, to Eleanora and Guy Brunton. He became a member of the Ohio State Militia at the age of 14 and continued on when the Ohio Militia was federalized into the 137th Infantry of the Ohio National Guard. He enlisted in the Air Force at age 17, where he served for 23 years and attained the rank of master sergeant. While in the Air Force, he was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas, Lowry AFB in Denver, Colo., Walker AFB in Roswell, N.M. in the 509th Bomb Wing, Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio in the USAF Photo Recon Research Lab, Nuossur AFB in Casablanca, French Morroco Photo Intelligence Lab, RAF Station Burtonwood Warrenton, Lancaster, England, where he was the NAMA Photo Intelligence Lab Commander, then in West Palm Beach ABF in West Palm Beach, Fla. in the 1370 Photo Mapping Wing, then Arlington Hall Station in Arlington, Va. Air Force Intelligence Center and finally the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. in the Defense Intelligence Agency. He was awarded the Expert Marksman Medal, Korean and Vietnam Theater of Operations Medals, two Congressional Unit Citations and Joint Service Medal, awarded by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Jack then retired from the USAF in 1968 and went to work for The Richards Corporation in Tysons Corner, Va., where he served as vice president and held a seat on the Board of Directors until just last year. Jack married Lenna Margaret Long, his childhood sweetheart, on August 1, 1950. She preceded him in death on April 29, 2000. He was also preceded in death by their oldest daughter, Jacquelyn Deen Brunton Powell, whose husband, John Dean Powell, and their son, John Dean "Jack" Powell, both of Bowling Green, Va., still survive. He is survived by his second daughter, Kerri Brunton Valentine and her husband, Mike Valentine and their two daughters, Kelly Lynn Valentine and Lenna Morgan Valentine Durham and her husband, Wil Durham and their son, Wilson Drake Durham, all of whom reside in Ashland, Va. Morgan is a nurse at Westport Hospital and Kelly is a senior at Kerri's alma mater, Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va. "Dad was a true force of nature whose intelligence and drive took him around the world and made him the wonderful father that he was. I will miss you Dad, but I know you're with Mom and Jackie now." After Margaret passed away, Jack married Betty Douthett of Jackson, Ohio in April 2002, and they resided at Hanover Country Club in Ashland, Va. Jack is survived by Betty, and her three children, Nancy Brandon of Fredericksburg, Va., Brady Douthett of Cleveland, Ohio and Trent Douthett of Naples, Italy; and Betty's three grandchildren, Katie, Cameron, and Elliott. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, October 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Nelsen Funeral Home - Reid Chapel in Ashland, Va. Services will be held on Wednesday, October 20 at 12 noon at First Baptist Church Chapel, where the family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.



This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.