Ronald Bruno Obituary
Ronald Bruno, 89, of Oconomowoc, WI passed away peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on November 23, 2022.
Ron is survived by his wife Susan and his 9 children: Ronald "Ronny" Bruno Jr of CA, Francesca Bruno of MO, Stefanie Bruno of IL, Anthony "Tony" Bruno of CA, Dominic Bruno of IL, Jillana Thomas (Christian) of CA, Christina Donald (Scott) of WI, Angela Bruno of CA, and Kevin Hoeth (Jennifer) of WI. He is also survived by his eleven grandchildren, his nine great grandchildren, and two great, great grandchildren. His legacy will surely live on for generations.
Ron met his first wife, Jeanne Hauck, in New York City. They married and within a year they had started a family. That family grew to be 7 children strong. Together for 25 years, they eventually divorced. He later married Susan Hoeth (nee Shores) in 1980. He quickly became a supportive stepfather to Susan's 2 children, Chrissy and Kevin, rounding out the child count to 9.
Ron was born in New York City to Mary (nee Drago) and Louis Bruno. He attended City University of New York to study Chemistry. His career in sales of industrial adhesives was aided by his knowledge of the chemistry behind the glue. But sales was only a means to an end. Were it not for his dedication to family and the desire to provide a good life for them, he would have pursued his passion for acting. Ron was also dedicated to his country, having served in the US Army, fighting in the Korean War.
When life settled and his career began to wind down, he unassumingly took on the role of the family patriarch. Despite family and friends being scattered throughout the US, he managed to organize several large family reunions and get togethers. But his most enduring legacy will surely be the feasts he and Susan prepared for Thanksgiving. The tables filled with food, often inspired from his mother's recipes, and a house filled with generations of family, serve as memories that will forever bind the family together. Whether intentional or not, and whether industrial adhesives or binding memories, his gift seemed to be glue.
While he was the glue of the family, he was the "Teflon Don" when it came to health. He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2002. With the aid of outstanding medical care, he managed to wrangle cancer for over 20 years. His oncologist remarked that Ron was more likely to pass of old age than cancer. He refused to let the cancer stick. But in early 2022, at the age of 88, things took a turn and the cancer had spread. Even with this, he managed to outlive the prognosis by 6 months. Throughout 2022, he was visited by his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great, great grandchildren and lifelong friends. Throughout all of it, he was made more comfortable by the loving care of Angel's Grace Hospice of Oconomowoc.
Ron often espoused, "la famiglia e tutto"; the family is everything. It is remarkable that despite the sometimes complicated dynamics that come with large families, he left us with a beautiful gift – an immutable sense that no matter what, we are family. Bravissimo, Ron.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his name to the Oconomowoc Food Pantry are appreciated.
A private family service will be held.
