Former Broomfield Mayor Clyde Brunner Dies At 93

BROOMFIELD, CO – From Rundus Funeral Home. Clyde Albert Brunner’s soul transcended this earthly plane and onto its’ next incarnation on, April 23, 2019 at the age of 93. He was at home when he passed in the loving care of his daughter Lisa and caregivers. Clyde was born on December 22, 1925 in the Brunner Farmhouse to Lib and Lester Brunner. He was the eldest of four sons and grew up on the family farm in Broomfield, Colorado. He learned early on the value of hard work, which became part of his every day life.

When Clyde was 5 years old, he underwent an emergency operation for a ruptured appendix at Presbyterian Hospital. The newspaper featured an article about him that read, “It was conceded he had not a chance in a million to recover, but medical resourcefulness, nursing skill, hospital care and parental love joined forces to create a chance for him.” Both of his parents Mr. and Mrs. Lester Brunner gave blood transfusions to save his life, because antibiotics were not available yet. “It was his heroic heart, fighting spirit, and vitality of a giant that became his winning way out from under the shadow of death,” noted the newspaper. His gallant fight for his survival set precedence for his amazing life ahead.

When Clyde was 19 years old, he volunteered for the U.S. Navy and served in the South Pacific for two years. At the end of WWII, he was honored to witness the signing of the peace treaty on the USS Missouri. After serving in the navy, Clyde made his way to Ft. Collins, Colorado where he attended Colorado State University on the G.I. bill to attain his degree in veterinary medicine. He felt very compelled to become a veterinarian as he deeply loved animals and wanted to give them his best care.

On June 8, 1951 he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, and Surgery degree from Colorado State University and graduated with honors. The following weekend on June 16, 1951, he married his long time sweetheart Carrie Mae Johnson at the Wheat Ridge Community Methodist Church. From there Clyde and Carrie Brunner celebrated their honeymoon in the beauty of the Grand Canyon, by taking the mule ride to the bottom and back. This was the first of their many travels together throughout their lives. Their favorite place to travel was Johannesburg, South Africa, which they visited many times to take part in safaris, photographing the African wildlife. Other worldly travels included Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Clyde and Carrie were married for 53 years.

From 1951-1955 Clyde worked with Dr. Peavy in Denver at his private vet practice. Then in 1955, Clyde opened Broomfield Veterinary Hospital, which was built on a parcel of the family farm that he purchased from his mother. Over the years, Broomfield Veterinary Hospital grew to be a thriving business and a cornerstone of the Broomfield community. Clyde and his dedicated staff provided care to over 100,000 pets and their families for 57 years.

In July 2013, Clyde sold his practice and retired to further enjoy his family and friends…and watching the Denver Broncos! One of Clyde’s favorite animals he loved was his black Pekingese “Missy.” They had an unspoken connection and Clyde was heartbroken when Missy passed. He realized even the veterinarian that he was, couldn’t save her from old age. He knew too well the delicate cycle of life, as he had witnessed the birth and death of so many animals from being a boy on the farm, to a veterinarian for all those years. The other animal that held a special place in his heart was “Shep” the turnpike dog. Clyde donated his services to care for Shep all of his years as he greeted drivers paying their money at the tollbooth for Highway 36; now that’s a look back down memory lane!

One of Clyde’s passions besides veterinary medicine was being a public servant. His first public office was in 1944 at the age of 19 when he was elected president of the Future Farmers Club. His desire to serve grew with time and from 1960-61 he was on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association. He was also President of the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society in 1963. Clyde wanted to further serve the Broomfield community and was President of the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce from 1960-61 and on the Board of Directors from 1960-63. From 1963-67, Clyde also served on the Broomfield City Council and was Mayor Pro Tem from 1966-67. His ambitions were high and in 1967 Clyde was elected as Mayor of Broomfield and served two terms from 1967-71. He was a visionary in his own right and was instrumental in the planning and building of the Broomfield community. He always said hiring George DiCiero as Broomfield’s City Manager, was one of the greatest moves in promoting Broomfield as a premier community in which to work and raise a family. Clyde and George laid a solid foundation for the Broomfield community and had a deep respect and admiration for one another.

Another one of Clyde’s passions was gardening. He took pride every May after the final frost had passed, to plant colorful petunias and Crystal Palace Lobelia which surrounded all of the flower beds at Broomfield Veterinary Hospital. The planting was a family affair where his daughter Lisa, nieces Jona and Kelly and Kelly’s husband Colby came to put their hands deep into the rich earth of the family farmland and await the flowers to colorfully bloom and show off God’s wondrous creations. Many people stopped to ask, “What is that glorious purple flower that accents his beautiful gardens?” The answer was always, “Crystal Palace Lobelia.”

Along with his love for beautiful flower gardens, Clyde also enjoyed raising Blue Spruce and Foxtail Pine. Every few years, he would get 100 tiny foxtail and blue spruce seedlings from the C.S.U. Extension and lovingly plant them by hand into the rich earth behind Broomfield Veterinary Hospital. He was very meticulous in their care and as they grew to 6 feet or more, he would then donate them to the Broomfield Parks Department. Over the years, Clyde donated over 200 trees to the parks for the community to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Clyde was also a firm believer in higher education and best practices in veterinary medicine. At the age of 85, he attended the American Animal Hospital Association veterinary conference in Denver to take classes and renew his veterinary license one final time. He had a deep love for learning and was proud of his accomplishments but would never boast or bring attention to himself. He had a sense of personal dignity and integrity that carried over into every aspect of his life. He didn’t need admiration from anyone because in his heart, he knew he had served his community, but more importantly he had served God using the gifts he had been given.

He is survived by his daughter Lisa Brunner, brother Lester Brunner, nieces Jona Johnson, Kelly Smith, Gilda McCorkle, Joey Preston, Jan Van Ausdall , and great niece Autumn Smith. He is survived by nephews Mark Brunner, Tom Brunner, Charles Brunner, Dale Paul Brunner, and Bill Bell. He was preceded in death by his wife Carrie Brunner in December, 2004, and his son David Brunner in May, 2007, brother Dale Brunner in July 2014, and brother Gib Brunner in October, 2014.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 29 from 10-1 at the Church Ranch Event Center followed by a lunch reception. Please RSVP to devin@churchrancheventcenter.com by June 8 if you plan to attend the reception and how many are in your party.
Church Ranch Event Center.