If you're lucky, you meet a woman that touches your life. You want to be near her. You admire her style, her dignity and her gracious demeanor. You want to hear the sound of her voice and even read her handwriting. Jean Bruno was GRITS, a "Girl Raised in the South," with an accent from "Dixie" and a charm that perfect strangers found beguiling. She slipped away quietly in her sleep in Salt Lake City on the morning of September 1st after battling the side-effects of chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer. When she did, it broke our hearts. The youngest of six children, Jean Carole Brown was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 9, 1931. Her daddy, William, was a conductor on the Seaboard Airline Railroad and her mama, Loma, was a homemaker. She eloped with the love of her life, America "Paul" Bruno when she was 18 years old and their love affair lasted for 54 years. She was a military wife. As her husband advanced through the ranks in the U.S. Air Force, she was always by his side, packing up the kids and moving from country to country. When he made the rank of Brigadier General, it was one of her proudest moments. She drew all to her side with her sweet smile, kind heart and gentle unassuming nature. She called her close local friends "The Silver Supper Club" because they loved their frequent dining excursions and travel adventures. She adored and admired her sons and their children. She dreamed their dreams, marveled at their accomplishments and they made her life complete. She was the consummate hostess, the world's finest conversationalist and a child's best friend. We miss her deeply but a little piece of her lives on in all of us. She is survived by her husband Paul and sons Paul (Michelle) and Bill (Nina Ferrell, fiancee), her grandchildren, Christina Bruno, Christopher Bruno, Ahna Paton-Bruno and Halley Jean Bruno. She also leaves behind several in-laws, nieces and nephews whom she loved deeply and many close friends in every corner of the globe. She is the last of the Brown family clan, preceded in death by her parents and five siblings. A funeral mass celebrated Wed. September 8, 2004 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 1375 E. Spring Ln (5000 South). A vigil service will be held Tues. at 7 p.m. at Neil O'Donnell & Sons Mortuary, 372 E. 100 So. Her final resting place will be at Wasatch Lawn, 3401 So. Highland Dr.
Published in the Salt Lake Tribune on 9/5/2004.