Edmund Brune Obituary

Brune, Edmund
2/9/1937 - 8/12/2024
Hidden Vally Lake
Edmund John Brune
1937-2024
Edmund "Ed" John Brune, loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather and a notable presence in the automotive industry and classic car world, passed away at his Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., home on Aug. 12, 2024. He was 87 years old.
Born in Sudbury Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 9, 1937, he spent early childhood among the lakes and forests of Blind River, Ontario, before emigrating to the United States with his mother and father in August 1946, arriving in Port Huron, Mich., a state where he would spend much of the rest of his life.
In the early 1950s, Ed became involved with the Port Huron Road Knights, a Michigan Hot Rod Association chartered automobile club, and was part of a growing group of young men across America who were customizing their cars and creating "hot rods." At the age of 15, he bought a 1936 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe for $150 and began customizing it, sparking a lifelong love of automobiles that turned into a career.
After graduating from Port Huron High School in 1955, Ed was accepted to the prestigious General Motors Institute and earned a degree in mechanical engineering.
Ed met Kathleen Heatley on a blind date to the movies in October 1957, and after the film, they were surprised by an early Michigan snowfall as they exited the theater. They were engaged a year later and married on Sept. 3, 1959, at Our Lady of Victory Church in Northville, Mich. After graduating from GMI, Ed started his career at Chevrolet Engineering, followed by a stint at the Ford Motor Company. He then became the Director of Certification and Surveillance for the Environmental Protection Agency located at Willow Run Airport outside of Detroit and subsequently oversaw the design, construction and establishment of a new facility in Ann Arbor, Mich., now known as the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory. Ed also spent time later in his career at Toyota, Volkswagen of America and Peugeot S.A., where his powertrain and emissions background proved to be invaluable.
In 2005, Ed retired from his automobile career and turned his attention to the restoration and showing of his classic car collection. Throughout his 19 years of retirement, he rebuilt and restored four classic cars, including a top-down restoration of his beloved 1936 Chevrolet Coupe he purchased in 1951, which earned second place in the "Custom Rod" class at Detroit's Autorama in 2016 and first place at the Gilmore Red Barn Spectacular the following summer.
In recent years, Ed and his wife, Kathy, retired to northern California, escaping the Michigan winters they had weathered for so many decades. In his new California home, he enjoyed playing with his great-grandchildren, maintaining his beautiful flower garden, and walking his dog Cooper while sharing conversations with passing neighbors. He is survived by Kathy, his wife of nearly 65 years, daughters Susan (Jim) Salmina and Diane (Sutiphand) Chirathivat, sons Steve (Sandy) Brune and John (Judy) Brune, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial mass to honor Ed's life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Middletown, Calif., at 1:00 p.m.