John Henry Brunken Jr.

John Henry Brunken, Jr. was born on September 28, 1931, in Philadelphia. He left this world on May 16, 2026, surrounded by love, at the age of ninety-four. He was the son of John Henry and Mildred Letitia (Carr) Brunken, and one of two children, including his brother, Ted.

Dad elected to be cremated. He will be celebrated alongside Mom, who deferred her own memorial service until Dad passed, so they could be honored together. Their joint memorial service will be held June 13, 2026.

John was a man of quiet strength, boundless energy, and unwavering integrity. He lived his life with hard work, generosity, and an absolute devotion to family, and those who knew him were better for it.

To us, he was simply Dad. He entered the U.S. Navy when he was sixteen years old and met Emma Lee Jones while serving as a sailor stationed at the naval base in Orange, Texas. Dad met Mom on a blind date, and they were married four months later in December 1950 at the age of nineteen.

Dad was briefly stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, where their son John was born, and he also joined the U.S. Marine Reserve before leaving the military. Dad and Mom then headed further north to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Dad’s family resided and where Mark was born.

Dad worked for various companies, including Vertol Corporation (helicopters) and Lansdowne Steel (steel fabrication mill), before settling into his career at Bell Telephone of Pennsylvania for the remainder of his working life. He held multiple positions, including Lineman, Cable Splicer, Installer, Framer, and Central Office Technician. He turned down multiple opportunities for management promotions, he preferred working outdoors, from out of his Bell truck. He retired at age 62 after more than 30 years with Bell—and climbed a telephone pole on his very last day of work. Dad worked an immense amount of overtime to ensure a good life for his family and to send his two sons to college. He was also a Freemason, a Cubmaster, an avid vegetable gardener, a workshop tinkerer, and an astute financial investor (famous for his three-ring binder).

Dad and Mom enjoyed Square Dancing together for several years at clubs in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and Sussex County, Delaware. They even operated food concessions at the Dover Downs Raceway to raise money for their Square Dance Club.

Dad was deeply committed to family, ensuring we made regular road trips to Texas to stay connected to Mom’s relatives. Dad and Mom were always available to participate in the grandkid’s sports, school, and family activities. Later, they loved hosting the family during the summer in Lewes, Delaware—creating lifelong memories for their grandchildren with swimming, fishing, hiking, and biking in Cape Henlopen State Park, visits to Dover Air Force Base, and trips for ice cream at King's. Dad especially enjoyed Christmas holiday gatherings with his brother’s family and Joe and Marge Dwyer. He and Marge had a legendary, running gag regarding who could give the other the most shocking Christmas gift. It was always all in fun.

Dad poured incredible energy into our Norwood home. He installed baseboard heaters and a boiler, and constructed several additions: a rooftop dormer, a new kitchen and living room, a backdoor patio, a side patio, and a concrete block shed (affectionately known as the nuclear bomb shelter), alongside a fence enclosing the entire property (sans moat). He performed many tasks himself, volunteering his very reluctant sons to help with demolition, house wiring, insulation, drywall installation, joint compounding, and sanding (oh, the sanding). He finally relieved us when he noticed our backyard fence installation was wandering a bit too far off the property line. Dad and his brother, Ted, also refurbished a house for their stepmother, and Dad was always the first to collaborate with friends and relatives whenever they needed help with home projects.

Dad is survived by his two sons, John and Mark, and their wives, Jacalyn and Claire; his sister-in-law, Rose Mary, and her husband, Ron West; his grandchildren, James, Jessica, Mike, and Matt; and his great-grandchildren, Paige, Wes, Kate, Jake, and Livy.

We celebrate John and Emma Brunken for their loving legacy and the beautiful memories that live on in each of us. They will be deeply missed but forever remembered with love and gratitude. We kindly ask you to keep John and Emma in your thoughts and prayers.

Arrangements entrusted to Szpindor-Meyers Funeral Home, P.C.

Condolences may be made by visiting www.Meyersfh.com