Barbara Bruns

Jan. 26, 1936 - May 16, 2023

Barbara Bruns, longtime Eugene resident, world explorer, and avid outdoors-person, passed away peacefully in her home on May 16. She was 87. She grew up with her two sisters in the San Gabriel Valley and graduated from the University of Redlands. In 1957 she married William Bruns Jr. with whom she made a family. In her professional career she was a risk manager. She is survived by her sister Lois, sons Robert, Wayland, David, and Michael, and grandchildren Mariah, Sam, and James. With her young family, Barbara moved five times between the west coast and New England, but her heart was captured by the people, climate, and mountains of the Pacific Northwest after her arrival in Bellevue, Washington in 1966. Barbara’s passion for hiking, cycling and skiing flourished in New England as her children became independent. She also began traveling to Europe for backpacking and bike tours, then embarked on more adventurous trips to South America and Asia. She reveled in experiencing different cultures and religions, especially those of Bhutan and Nepal. Her companion during these years was Ralph Heuman who was her second husband. She moved to Eugene in 2005, finally returning where she felt she belonged. She joined Obsidians on outings to the Cascades, Oregon coast, and other natural places in the Northwest. She cycled thousands of miles on day trips from her home, sometimes with local cycling groups and sometimes on her own. She continued to travel, including a solo bike tour in Slovenia and a volunteer trip to Peru where she worked side by side with residents to build the first sanitation facility in a remote village. In recent years Barbara could often be seen on Mt. Pisgah. Several times a week in every season, year after year, she hiked to the top or around the mountain. She was greeted by friends every time. Obsidians, cycling friends, Mt. Pisgah hikers, and other friends, please join Barbara’s children in celebrating her life on June 11 at Dorris Ranch in Springfield. Details at (web link here). Gifts in Barbara’s memory may be offered to Obsidians, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, or your favorite conservation organization.