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Donald Leon Brunner

Jan. 25, 1955 – Dec. 22, 2018

Donald (Donny) Leon

Brunner was born in

Minot, North Dakota on

January 25, 1955 to Tony

T and Grace Margaret

(Hennessey) Brunner and

died unexpectedly at a

Missoula, MT hospital on

December 22, 2018.

Though stricken with po-

lio at age three, Don spent

his life defeating all odds

and overcoming every

obstacle in his path. Don

graduated from Ann Carl-

son School in Jamestown,

ND and from Moorhead

Tech in Moorhead, MN.

He traveled to Meonstoke,

England and won a gold

medal with the US Olym-

pic wheelchair rugby

team. He worked as a

machinist and a carpenter

and eventually made his

home with the love of his

life, Diana Sue (Deats)

Brunner in Polson, MT.

Donny’s sense of humor

and infectious laugh will

be missed by all who

knew and therefore loved

him. He is survived by his

wife Diana Sue Brunner;

mother Grace Brunner;

sister Renee Brunner;

brother Rick Brunner;

aunts Sharon (Dick)

Shaefer and Dorothy

Anderson; stepsons Troy

(Liz) Ricciardi, Chester

(Mandi) Ricciardi, Daniel

(Jennifer) Ricciardi,

Nathan (Dandee) Ricciar-

di; step-grandchildren

Saren, Trista, Zoie, Iyla,

Scotty, Devin, Payton;

nieces Nescha (Matt) Lee,

Nicole Brunner, Shyla

(Ed) Bradshaw; great-

nieces and nephews Con-

nor, Jameson, Eric, Avery,

Natalie, Jacob, Evelyn;

and a number of cousins.

He is preceded in death

by his father Tony

Brunner; maternal grand-

parents Clarence and Effie

(Harris) Hennessey; pater-

nal grandparents Mike

and Barbara (Kuntz)

Brunner; and several

aunts, uncles, and

cousins. A celebration of

life and Christian

memorial service and

burial will take place in

June.