Bernice Brunner DeBragga

Bernice DeBragga, 96, formerly of Greensboro, NC, passed away peacefully at the River Landing at Sandy Ridge Retirement Community on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Born on January 6, 1930, to August and Freda Brunner in Forest Hills, NY, her childhood included competitive Tennis at the Forest Hills National Tennis Center and summer afternoons at the Long Island shore.

Bernice graduated from The Kew-Forest School in 1947 and Centenary Junior College in 1949. She moved to Greensboro, NC in 1951, starting a family- raising two sons was her full-time job for many years. For over a decade Bernice worked tirelessly as Cub Scouts Leader, Swim Team Mom (at 5:30am and again at 5:30pm), and an avid Golfer at Starmount Forest C.C.

During the 1960’s, Bernice’s community volunteerism included serving as Voter Registrar at the Sternberger Precinct for local and national elections, and as Landscape Design Co-Chair for the Lindley Park Gardening Club.

A self-taught, proficient home baker, Bernice was famous for sharing with many, the dozens-&-dozens of her special German Holiday Cookies and her Award-winning Strawberry Jam painstakingly made with “just the right berries” that she harvested by hand. She shared her joy for living with family and friends, serving as volunteer Secretary and Newsletter Chairperson for over 2 decades for the High Rock Yacht Club and the Greensboro’s Nat Greene Ski Club.

After becoming an empty nester, Bernice held administrative and secretarial positions at UNC-G. She continued her love of cats, movies, and snow skiing. For many years Bernice traveled with a group of twelve-plus friends on annual Ski trips to the Western Rockies and to challenging European slopes.

Bernice was delighted to relocate to River Landing’s “Independent Living” in 2004. In her 22 years there she progressed through all levels of care, ultimately residing in the nursing care section, where her last and final competition was against a slowly degenerative Alzheimer’s disease.

No words can express the loving, quality care all the River Landing Staff provided to Bernice … One day she was wearing a new looking sweater; a Nurse Assistant, who had recently purchased it for herself was aware that Bernice was habitually cold; This was the Nurse’s selfless and spontaneous Gift to a resident she barely knew. Near Bernice’s end of life, Hospice of the Piedmont staff assisted in providing wonderful patient care also.

With years’ long Alzheimer’s, it was a long goodbye from Bernice’s family and friends.

Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, August and Freda Brunner and her sister, Arlene Plimpton of New York City.

She is survived by Donald and Sharon DeBragga, Fairfax, VA and Hank DeBragga and Sue Lundberg, Angier, NC, and 5 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Queens, NY. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: River Landing Employee Appreciation Fund, 1575 John Knox Drive, Colfax, NC 27235.

Hanes-Lineberry Sedgefield Chapel is honored to serve the DeBragga family.