John Herbert Brunner, 82, Fairfield, PA, passed away on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at his home surrounded by his family while lovingly holding his wife’s hand.
He was born September 20, 1943 in Chambersburg, PA the son of Herbert R. Brunner and Hilda I. Caldwell Weaver and her husband Garnet Weaver. John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patricia “Patt” Kuhn Brunner.
AN John H. Brunner served in the U.S. Navy from 2/1961-2/1967, serving proudly aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard CV-31 in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam conflict. He is a member of the Gettysburg American Legion Club, Albert Lentz Post 202. Nicknamed the “Mad Scientist” by his fellow firemen, he was a proud member of the Cashtown Fire Department, joining the department in 1976 and an active responder throughout the 80s and 90s. He retired from Gettysburg High School, where he was loved by fellow staff and students. He was part of the morning “town council” group that met at the Fairfield Mini-Mart every morning to discuss politics, news, and the latest town gossip. He always said that the gossip they heard in the morning would be at the other end of town by noon. His love of the beach, car shows, air shows, cigars, traveling, and classic Corvettes always made him smile. As a man that enjoyed trying new things, he went paragliding in 2001. In 2011, at the tender age of 68, he went skydiving at the Chambersburg Skydiving Center and soared in a glider at the Mid Atlantic Soaring Center in Fairfield, 2019.
In addition to his wife, John is survived by two daughters: Annie Cherry of Fairfield, PA, and Sacha Brunner-King and husband Michael King of Concord, NC. In order of age, 5 grandchildren: Bryan Cherry, Skylar Hertz, Kolbi Hertz, Gabrielle Brunner-King, and Ayden Brunner-King; 2 great grandchildren, Hannah Cherry and Caleb Cherry, and a sister, Donna Mackey and her husband Floyd Mackey of Chambersburg, PA. He was predeceased by a sister, Margaret Sprenkle.
John was inducted into the United States Navy, Men & Women of the Sea Services Memorial, Washington, D.C., in 1993. You can view his name in an online log by visiting https://www.navymemorial.org/navy-log. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of AN John H. Brunner or another loved one to the US Navy Memorial Foundation by visiting https://www.navymemorial.org/donate-gift-in-honor-form.
A Celebration of John’s Life will take place in the summer as John would have wanted. Online obituary and condolences available at monahanfuneralhome.com.