William Brundage

S
Schubert Funeral Home
PO Box 326
Wartburg, TN 37887
Office: 423-346-6677
Fax: 423-346-6678
www.schubertfuneralhome.com

William Emery Brundage

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Retiree

Mr. William Emery Brundage, "Bill" to those who knew him well, passed away after an extended illness on November 22, 2011. He was 89 years old.

Bill was born in Newburgh, New York on September 5, 1922. He grew up in Newburgh and attended Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Upon graduation in 1944 with a BS degree in physics, Bill moved to Oak Ridge, TN and began his 41 year career as a research associate. He was first employed by Tennessee Eastman, working at the Y-12 National Security Complex from 1944 until 1949. He transferred to Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1949 where he spent the remainder of his working years. At the time of his retirement in 1985, Bill was growing high temperature crystals for research in The Solid State Division.

Bill is survived by his wife of 30 years, Carol Long Brundage; his daughter Sara Marie (Sally) Brundage Schubert and her husband, Roy B. Schubert of Oak Ridge; his sister, Harriet B. Lovitt of Davis, California; his brother-in-law, Jim Long, and his wife, Jane of Columbia, SC; his step children, Jane F. McElhaney and her husband, Tom, of Charlotte, NC; John Michael (Mike) Fisher and his wife, Julie, of Tampa, FL, and six step grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his parents, Stanley E. and Sara Emery Brundage; his first wife, Cora Hines Brundage; and his brother-in-law, Charles William Lovitt.

In his spare time, Bill enjoyed tinkering in his shop--repairing and restoring antique clocks and guns, and inventing better ways of doing things. Before he could complete many of his projects, he first had to make the appropriate tools. Bill was a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors. He and Carol attended meetings of the society in numerous locations within the United States and once in London.

In the 1960s and 70s, Bill traveled extensively. His first wife, Cora, was the owner and operator of Ridge Travel in Oak Ridge, making it possible for him to visit many interesting places including Hong Kong, Spain, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, and South Africa.

Bill enjoyed a variety of activities including golf, skiing, bowling, photography, and sailing. In the 1950s and 60s, he was active in high power rifle shooting at national matches, winning numerous championships. He was president of the Oak Ridge Sportsman Association at the time when the land was purchased from the US Government. For many years, Bill played golf at Oak Ridge Country Club. He was a member of the East Tennessee Senior Golf Association and in 1994, scored a hole-in-one while playing in a tournament at Waynesville Country Club Inn in North Carolina. He and Carol shared the ownership of a series of older sailboats, spending many long hours upgrading and maintaining them. Taking these boats on voyages (even short ones) was always an adventure! They especially enjoyed their time aboard "Bali Ha'i", their 46-foot sailing ketch which was docked on Tampa Bay.

The family will greet friends at First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, November 29, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations in Bill's honor be made to charitable organizations.

An online guestbook is available at www.schubertfuneralhome.com