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, 2023. She was 87. She grew up with 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 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 1995, finally returning where she felt she belonged. She joined the Obsidians and went on 220 trips that Included many bike trips. She led 16 trips and received her 200-trip award in 2014. From 2015-2020 Barbara went on 15 bus trips. 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 Nicaragua where she worked side by side with a family in a remote village to build their first sanitation facility. All through the years Barbara could often be seen on Mt. Pisgah, a mountain near her home. 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, Spoke Folks cyclists, Mt. Pisgah hikers, and other friends, please join Barbara’s children in celebrating her life on June 11, 2023 at Dorris Ranch in Springfield. Details at https://www.forevermissed.com/barbara-bruns Gifts in Barbara’s memory may be offered to Obsidians, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, or your favorite conservation organization.