James Livingston Bruner, of Columbia, SC, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2023, surrounded by loved ones. Jim was born and raised in Columbia, SC, the youngest son of William Wallace Bruner and Grace Waddell Bruner. He was predeceased by his parents, and his two older brothers, William W. Bruner, Jr. and Thomas Waddell Bruner. Surviving Jim are his wife, Diane, his three children James Bruner (Lauren), Ben Bruner (Caitlin), and Jessica Grace Bruner Monroe (Daniel), his six beloved grandchildren, Callum, Harrison, Jay, Sara Riley Bruner, Rhodes, and Edward "Teddy" Monroe, and many nieces and nephews whom he adored.
Jim, or “Jimmy,” as he was affectionately called by childhood friends and family, attended Dreher High School in Columbia before completing his secondary education at Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia, where he earned accolades in public speaking. Those close to him can attest he put his skill to use often, never missing an opportunity to impart wisdom or life lessons, especially when he had a captive audience. Jim’s achievements at Woodberry earned his admission to Princeton, Dartmouth, Duke, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When he consulted his father, a Phi Beta Kappa alumnus of UNC-Chapel Hill, Jimmy was told no uncertain terms, "Son, you can go wherever you want, but if you go to Chapel Hill, I'll pay for it." And with that, the family that had made a Clemson Tiger of its eldest (Billy) and a South Carolina Gamecock of the middle brother (Tommy) made a Tar Heel of the youngest.
Jim arrived in Chapel Hill with a semester’s worth of college credits from AP courses and a love for bird hunting and fellowship. In December 1971, he graduated early and departed Chapel Hill with his future bride, Diane Clement of Hickory, North Carolina. They married the following year.
Jim joined the South Carolina National Guard in 1971 and served for eight years. In 1975, Jim graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and began what would become a decorated legal career. He served in the Judge Advocate General Detachment for his final two years with the National Guard, and he practiced in South Carolina state and federal courts, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He was highly respected as a fierce advocate and a creative mediator. At his core, Jim was a problem solver with a unique gift for direct and effective communication.
Jim's commitment to his profession was superseded only by that to his family. In 1989, he saw a photograph of his three children and wondered how they had grown so quickly. He opened his own law practice, and bought an RV. He spent the following years better balancing his time, and of course spending more time in Colorado.
Each Fall when the elk began bugling, he faithfully returned to the West Elk Wilderness and was seen on horseback riding through the golden Colorado aspens. His unceasing love for the outdoors began as a boy when he would wander the family’s country place and fish for bass and bream. As he grew, he found dove shoots, quail hunts, fishing trips, and duck hunts particularly difficult to refuse because they provided opportunities to reconnect with old friends and Woodberry classmates. Jim forged his fondest memories with his friends and family in Colorado riding horses, trout fishing, hunting, and ending the day with a “Mountain Jimmy” cocktail on the front porch.
When he was not hunting or riding his horse in the Rockies, Jim was baking, cooking barbecue, or working in his garden, all to the benefit of those who surrounded him. His gardens produced baskets of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, and corn that would fill the law firm breakroom each summer.
Jim left an indelible impression on everyone fortunate enough to spend time with him. A service honoring Jim’s life will take place at Shandon United Methodist Church in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, July 8th, at 11:00 AM, followed by a reception at the home of Ben and Caitlin Bruner. Jim’s family is grateful to the extraordinary doctors, nurses, and staff at the MUSC Pulmonary Department and MICU for their dedication and compassion. The family asks that love and appreciation for Jim be shown through donations in his honor to Woodberry Forest School, Epworth Children’s Home, the Shandon United Methodist Church Chapel Fund, or The Medical University of South Carolina.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.dunbarfuneralhomedevine.com for the Bruner family.
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