Thomas Brunk

Thomas “Tom” George Brunk, 86, of Lima and Worthington, Ohio, Mashpee, Massachusetts and most recently Flagler Beach, Florida, passed peacefully with family at his side at 6:45 p.m., Friday March 1 at Stewart F. Meyer Hospice House, Palm Coast, Florida.

A beloved and fiercely-dedicated husband, father and grandfather, Tom shared a deep love for, and conviction to, his family first. And although his self-professed greatest joy was spending time with his family, his two sons and grandchildren, Tom also enjoyed an abundantly interesting and enriching life that included thousands of friendships and personal and professional experiences across his long, rich and rewarding life.

Early on, Tom faithfully served his country during the Korean Conflict as a communications officer and returned home to further his education at The Ohio State University and eventually Ohio University, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography. That is where he met his wife Cynthia of 61 years. After graduating from college, Tom embarked on an enormously successful career, initially as the chief photographer for The Lima Citizen and then as the Director of Photography for Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio for 34 years thereafter. He was honored by Nationwide Insurance for his service on many occasions, but none of these honors was more significant than his commendation for exemplary conduct during a special security assignment in support of the protection of visiting president, Jimmy Carter. Concurrent with his primary career, Tom garnered many coveted freelance assignments for independent news organizations, the Associated Press and United Press International, that resulted in his work being published in The National Geographic and countless other magazines and large newspapers nationwide. Tom’s most cherished of these assignments was covering Ohio State University football from the sidelines of “The Shoe”, every home-game Saturday afternoon through the late 1970s.

A prominent figure on the Ohio photojournalist scene, Tom was recognized as an active board member for the Ohio News Photographers Association and was honored by the organization in 1977 with the prestigious Robert S. Carson award for Outstanding Contribution to Photojournalism in Ohio. In 1982 he was given the President’s Special Award for his 15-plus years of outstanding and dedicated service as the organization’s treasurer. Through the years, Tom also won numerous awards for his editorial and creative photography in state-level competition.

Tom’s hometown paper, The Lima Citizen, proudly spotlighted a showing of his work, the award-winning content of which focused on the faces and culture of Korea – photographs that he cultivated while stationed in Korea. A strong representation of this spectacularly-gifted photographer’s work can be seen by visiting his website, https://www.thomasbrunk.com.

While keeping up his commitments to work and family, Tom also generously dedicated hundreds of man hours to his community. This included his offering up photographic talents to the Columbus Fire and Police Departments, providing both visual materials for training and service to the organization Box 15, a support effort providing critical rehabilitation and re-hydration services to exhausted firefighters in the service saving both lives and property. Additionally, Tom completed 135 hours of training necessary to become an Ohio Law Enforcement Officer and was an active member of the Central Ohio Fire Buffs Association. He was also a gold-level blood donor for the American Red Cross.

Over the years, Tom had numerous other interests including cooking, camping, beer home brewing, target, trap and skeet shooting, boating, salt and fresh-water fishing and hunting.

In his retirement, Tom and his wife relocated to Massachusetts and Cape Cod to be close to family. There he became an active member of the Falmouth Rod and Gun Club where he enjoyed his days shooting, saltwater fishing and the friendship and fellowship of other members. Another daily ritual that occurred mostly without interruption in his later years, was his early-morning drive to South Cape Beach in Mashpee, where he enjoyed a cup of coffee, a Hostess Cupcake, the Cape Cod Times and bold, brilliant sunrises over Nantucket Sound.

Tom was a truly special soul and the world, without a shadow of doubt, was better with him in it. Humble, fun, generous, selfless, dedicated, loving, hard-working, curious, interested, compassionate, supportive – just a representative handful of thousands of like words that capture him as a person. And although he has passed peacefully and will be so sorely missed by his family and friends, his spirit will live on and on and on and on through those who were better for just simply having known him.

Tom is survived by his wife Cynthia, sons Andrew and David, daughters-in-law Pamela Brunk and Brenda Hagedorn, grandchildren Annabel Brunk and Samuel Brunk and close relatives Larry, Gloria and Jami Brunk.

Donations in Thomas Brunk’s memory can be made in his name to: Stewart F. Meyer Hospice House, 150 Memorial Medical Parkway, Palm Coast, Florida, 32164, by following the link below and selecting Stewart F. Meyer Hospice House, Palm Coast as the designation.

http://www.adventhealth.com/hospital/adventhealth-palm-coast/hospicecare-donation-form