Thomas Gary Brunet

Thomas Gary Brunet, 75, died peacefully at home with his family at his side after a long battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He was born, raised, and lived in Mattydale. He was the oldest son in a family of nine children. Tom was a graduate of St. Margaret’s Elementary and North Syracuse High School class of 1967.

Tom enlisted into the USAF in 1968 and returned home to begin a career as a graphics designer at Dix Typesetting in Syracuse, where he created the typeset for many publications including the Nation Audubon Society. He attended International Typesetters Union School in Colorado Springs and had an affinity for T-shirt design and even designed one for the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Tom was a longtime member of the Gem and Mineral Society where he learned lapidary and jewelry making, to which he received multiple awards. He attended Drouhard National Jewelers School in Ohio to further his expertise and returned home to become popularly known as one of Syracuse’s finest jewelers while working for many years at Arnow Jewelers in Fayetteville, a work family that he cherished dearly. He eventually retired from Perrywinkle Jewelers in Watertown.

Tom also enjoyed the search for wild mushrooms and was a member of the Syracuse Mushroom Club. Although he was a health food advocate, he also had an appreciation for a good sandwich shop, cherry cheesecake with pistachio ice cream. Tom spent his entire life enjoying and creating memories at the family camp on Hyde Lake in Theresa, NY, and was a current member of the Preservation Alliance of Hyde Lake. He eventually learned to scuba dive and joined the Syracuse Scuba Divers Club and completed many dives in the St Lawrence River area. His appreciation of nature led him on multiple trips to the Rocky Mountains and even journeyed on a solo cross county trip to Alaska. His greatest passion, however, was antiquing where he often could be found at many thrift shops and garage sales across the country, making new friends wherever he went. He was best known for his genuine consideration of others and demonstrated this with random and unexpected gifts and acts of kindness to all of those in his life.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Sally (March) Brunet, two siblings, Edward and Joseph, and a sister-in-law, Jill Brunet. 

He is survived by his sisters: Janet Brunet (Mike White) of Liverpool, Joyce Schell Brunet (Andy Groves) of Weedsport, June Brunet Drury (Fred Drury) of Waukesha, WI, and Jeanne Brunet Roof  (Todd Roof) of Cicero; his brothers: Jeffrey Brunet of Palermo, NY, Jim Brunet (Dawn Perrault)of  Syracuse, Bernie Brunet (Liz Shiroda) of Newport, MI, and Andy Brunet (Pam Dean) of LaFayette; along with 24 nieces and nephews and multiple great nieces and nephews.

Donations in Tom’s memory can be made to The Preservation Alliance of Hyde Lake, P.O. Box 300, Theresa, NY 13691, or the Leukemia Lymphoma Society of CNY, 4043 Maple Road, Suite 105, Amherst, NY 14226.

Friends may call on Tuesday, May 14, from 4:00 -7:00 pm at Krueger Funeral Home, 2619 Brewerton Rd., Mattydale. A Service and Celebration of Life will begin Wednesday, 10:00 am, at the funeral home. The Service will be live streamed from the Krueger Funeral Home Facebook page.