Paul Joseph Brunelle

Brunelle, Paul Joseph - BEM, CD*, Lt (RCN, Ret’d) – 93 of Dartmouth, passed away July 21, 2012 at the Camp Hill Veterans’ Hospital. Born in Toronto. He was the son of the late Joseph Emile and Mary Ann (Flood) Brunelle, of Toronto. In 1951, he married Gwendolyn Pearl (Myers) Brunelle, whom, to his lasting desolation, he lost in 1997. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (Permanent Force) from 1939 to 1947. He joined in the ranks and rose to become an officer. He was awarded the British Empire Medal (the King’s Honour List, January 1946) “for outstanding service and devotion to duty whilst serving with the RCAF overseas”. He transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1948, where he served until his retirement in 1969 as a Lieutenant. After his military retirement, he worked as Treasurer/Manager of Eastern Passage Credit Union from 1969 to 1975. He was very active in promoting credit unions in the Canadian Navy and in civilian life. In his private life, he was involved in a number of organizations related to the military. He had many hobbies and interests. He was trained as a machinist and enjoyed woodworking which led to his creation of a set of working mechanical models constructed from wood and metal. These have been donated and are on display at the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry. He specialised, as a hobby, in the greenhouse culture of cacti and other succulent plants and, in 1997-98, he donated his large plant collection, a photo gallery of his plants, and his Cactus and Succulents library to Dalhousie University. Incorporating his interest in photography, at Dalhousie, with the title “visiting scientist”, he produced the “Dalhousie Collection of Cacti and Other Succulents” educational web site (http://cactus.biology.dal.ca/). Surviving are son Paul-Michael, Halifax; daughter Therese Goodyer, Eastern Passage; grandchildren, Peter Mortenson, Andrea Goodyer and Michael Brunelle; great-grandchildren, Aria, Hannah and Emma Mortenson; brother Harry Brunelle and sisters Emma Hickey, Therese McIntosh and Dorothy Brunelle, all of Toronto. He was predeceased by infant son Herbert, brothers Martin, Albert, Walter, John and Joseph, sisters Alda Lewis, Lucille Taylor and Olive Murphy. A memorial service will be held 1pm Wednesday July 25, 2012 in A. L. Mattatall Funeral Home 217 Portland Street, Dartmouth. Burial will take place in Mount Hermon Cemetery. Family flowers only, donations may be made to a Canadian Naval cause of your choice. Online condolences maybe viewed or sent to: www.mattatallfuneralhome.com