Jean C. Brugger

Passed peacefully on June 30, 2023 at the age of 89. She is predeceased by sisters Joyce (William) Schencke and Shirley (Lawrence) Ames.
Jean is survived and dearly missed by devoted husband of nearly 70 years, Donald, brother Roger (Julie) Cooper, loving children Charles (Michelle) Brugger, Nancy B Toles & John (Mary) Brugger; grandchildren Andrew (Sara) Brugger, Timothy (Tiara) Brugger, David (Tori) Brugger, Allison Toles (Jonathan Farris), Jennifer (Dan) Garcia, Daniel Brugger, Cory (Dawn) Brugger, Hayley (Tim) McNamara, 14 great-grandchildren and brother-in-law Robert Brugger along with several nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.
Jean was born and grew up in Rochester, NY ending up at 196 Mohawk St. She met Don during the 10th grade at a Halloween hayride sponsored by the Luther League of Concordia Lutheran Church, after Don was invited by a friend to come along. They became high school sweethearts at Benjamin Franklin High where she graduated in 1951.
Out of high school she worked in film processing quality control at Eastman Kodak in Rochester and also worked in a Kodak processing lab in DC while Don was stationed at Bolling Field.
Mom said that the best times were when she and Don were together. When Don was to be stationed in DC for the Air Force, not to be left behind, she said "Why don't we get married" and Don said "Why not?" They were married at Salem Church on September 19, 1953. It rained all day, which was good luck. On their honeymoon they visited cousins in Ohio and scouted out the processing lab in DC for possible employment.
In DC they spent about a year in a converted barracks with rent of $2/week per Mom or $25/month per Dad, starting with a folding camp bed from Don's Aunt Mae and one card table. They slowly gathered more furniture given by friends. That place was eventually condemned so they followed some Air Force Band buddies to nicer accommodations in a high-rise, which they were lucky to find.
Mom was always busy with something. She was active at Messiah Lutheran Church, singing in choir, serving on Altar Guild, teaching Sunday School and teaching sewing to the 4H kids. She volunteered to teach swimming to developmentally disabled kids from the Al Sigl Center, and was active in the Masonic order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of the Nile. Jean and her friends also volunteered to read and count chromosomes that determine the sex of the unborn, (amniocentesis) at a local Hospital Lab.
Mom was quite vigorous and playful when her kids were younger and she was running around the yard with them when she slipped on mud under the swings and broke her ankle. It was a bad one that had to be reset several times.
Mom was very sure of convictions (couldn't say stubborn?) She earned a spot in a Kodak publication showing how the use of Kodak products could effect change in your community. She took movies of the cars passing the stopped school buses on Ridgeway Ave. Showing the films to City Councilmen and the Mayor got action after the police initially could not handle the situation.
She and Don loved traveling, making multiple bus trips through the western US, including an Alaskan cruise through the Northwest passage. Since Don loved sailing they took a wind- jammer cruse out of Rockland Maine on a real Schooner. Mom liked it enough that they repeated the adventure a year or two later. They even shot the rapids on the Colorado River. When the grandkids were young and Mom & Dad would travel to visit family, they would often take one the grandkids with them.
She worked into her later years as Office Manager for Scottish Rite (Consistory) on the 3rd floor of the Masonic Temple while Don was on the 2nd floor editing the "Masonic Times".
With her great love for her extended family, she and Dad took them all on family vacations, at least 5 years to the Rhode Island shore and 15 years in Adirondacks. We'll never forget those times together.
She was constantly in contact with grandkids through social media and by phone, often knew more about what they were doing than their parents did. She would answer the phone with "Hello Dearie" and "How you be, child?"
Right to the end she was mentally sharp with a great memory, and keen hearing, like she had ears in the back of her head.
So, as Mom would say "Talk at ya later!"

Calling hours Thursday July 6th from 3pm to 7pm at New Comer Cremations and Funerals 2636 Ridgeway Ave. and her memorial service will be held Friday, July 7th at 10:30 am at Messiah Lutheran Church, 4301 Mt. Read Blvd. Entombment to follow at Riverside Cemetery.

Il lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the comfort care home that cared for Jean:

Mt Carmel House
288 Frisbee Hill Road
Hilton, NY 14468
http://www.mtcarmelhouse.com/p/mt-carmet-is-run-by-volunteers-and.html

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