Dennis Brundell, 73

Dennis Leon Brundell, 73, of Yachats, Oregon, passed away of leukemia on September 26, 2012 at Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend in Eugene, Oregon.

Dennis, known to his friends and family as Denny, was born April 9, 1939 and raised in Nelson, Minnesota, the son of Kenneth and Marion Brundell. He played football in high school, where he met and married Su’Zan Ruth Louise Erickson. After high school, he served 20 years in the Navy, raising his daughters and son on Naval bases all over the world, including Ponce, Puerto Rico (where he played bass guitar in a country band called Kentucky Ramblers); Rota, Spain; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Monterey, California.

After his Navy career, Dennis spent the next 15 years on ships in the Bering Sea as a senior electronics technician.

In 1981, Dennis met and married his second wife, Joan, in Honolulu, Hawaii. They lived a bi-coastal life in a condo overlooking Pearl Harbor and had a small winter home in Waldport, Oregon. Together, they opened D'm Bones BBQ Restaurant in Waldport, which they operated until Joan’s death in 1993.

After a few years in the mid-1990s as a senior VLT technician for Chinook Winds Casino, Dennis retired and married his long-time friend, Elecia, of Yachats. Their romantic adventure took them to Italy, China, Costa Rica and Alaska. For fun, they traveled up and down the Oregon Coast on his Yamaha Roadstar motorcycle.

Dennis’ hobbies included weightlifting, watching football and NASCAR. In 2003, Dennis attended the NASCAR Racing Experience in Fontana, California, doing controlled passes at 140 mph.

Always a serviceman, Dennis was active in the Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Club and proudly promoted the organization, was an ABATE member and rode in many motorcycle runs.

He is survived by his wife, Elecia Brundell; brothers, Frank (Sunny) Brundell, Washington; Bruce Brundell, Minnesota; son, Bryan (Pamela) Brundell, California; daughters, Vicky (Mark) Mugnai and Julz (James) Kasner, of Waldport and Burnt Woods; stepdaughters, Leslie of Yachats and Lisa of California, Jo Wendt, Louisiana; stepsons Richard (Cathy) Long, Larry (Patty) Birtcher, Donovan Birtcher; grandchildren, Mick Mugnai, Waldport, Lexi and Alia Brundell, California, Willow, Payden and Holden Kasner, Oregon, Copper Long, Cary Cutler, Ben and Cable Birtcher, Oregon; great-grandchildren, Oceana Kasner and Annabell Reed, Oregon.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Marion Brundell; brothers, Les and Keith Brundell; wife, Joan Brundell; great-grandson, Olyron Kasner; stepdaughter, Linda Kelsh; and grandson, Nic Birtcher.

Family and friends celebrated his life Saturday, October 6. It was his wish that his ashes be scattered by his children and wife in Alsea Bay.

“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for.”

--Louis L'Amour

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