Jacqueline Anne Denzer Brunnick passed away on July 1, 2018, after a long period of declining health. She was 92 and, reflecting the quiet grace with which she lived her life, she was at peace.

Jacquie, as everyone called her, was born on Dec. 8, 1925, in Portland, Ore., the second daughter of Eugene and Irene Ringhisen Denzer. Hers was a blue-collar family - her father worked in a foundry and her mother packed apples at one point - and Jacquie was raised to embrace family and hard work. As a child, she lived for a time on a wheat ranch in Withrow, WA. Such a formative experience: She never forgot her grandparents' struggles to run a family farm during the Depression, nor the memory of being the only child on the farm. Her quiet, accepting nature was part of her life story.

Jacquie graduated from Oregon State University in 1947 with a Bachelor of Science degree and concentration in Epidemiology, rare for a woman in those days to focus on science. College brought her more than a degree. She met a young lieutenant back from the war - he was the only man in her history class! She and Wayne Brunnick were married on Aug. 8, 1946, and spent 59 years together before he died in 2005.

A mechanical engineer, Wayne's career took them several places before they transferred in 1958 to Shelby, for his work with PPG Industries. They built a wonderful life in Shelby, raising a family and getting involved in the life of the community. She was active in the Shelby Charity League, Shelby Historical Society and Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and helped cook home-style meals for a soup kitchen serving the needy. Jacquie endured heartbreak: She lost an infant son, William, to illness at 10 days, and a daughter, Carolyn, to cancer at age 67. But her spirit carried her through. She devoted her life to her husband and children, rarely missing a swim meet, marching band competition and other activities.

Jacquie is survived by three children - Lisa Ledwith and her husband, Kevin, of Fort Washington, Pa.; Peter Brunnick and his wife, Vicki, of Charlotte; and Andrew Brunnick and his wife, Debbie, of Charlotte. She is also survived by three loving grandchildren - Mason Brunnick and his wife, Leslie, and Sarah and Zachary Ledwith.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Irene Denzer; husband, Wayne Brunnick; two children, Carolyn Jean and William Allen; and older sister, Edith Nealon.

A celebration of Jacquie's life will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 21, 2018 at the Chapel of Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home and Crematory, 106 Cherryville Road in Shelby. The family will receive friends at 10 a.m.

A memorial gift can be made to the: Cleveland County Memorial Library, 104 Howie Drive, Shelby, NC 28150.

The family is deeply grateful for the compassionate care offered by Hospice Cleveland County and Wendover Hospice House. Such blessings.

She traveled the world with her husband. She had a wonderful circle of friends who appreciated her kind ways. She enjoyed bird-watching and gardening and her tastes were high-minded - Foreign Affairs and The Atlantic magazines, and Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser on public TV.

Her health declining, Jacquie went into assisted living in March. As the days passed, she grew tired. Her family was at her side when she died; knowing she had accepted what was to come.

Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family of Mrs. Brunnick.

Guest Registry is available at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com