Brigid Bruer – Obituary

by Anne Wharton

Our dear friend Brigid Bruer died suddenly on Thursday 18 April 2019.

All who had the great joy to know Brigid will be unsurprised to know that her life was full and active until the very end.

Brigid and I became members of Sustainable Communities in the early days, joining the Unley Central group at its inception in 2010. Brigid loved our monthly get-togethers and the support from other members. She always aimed to get there, somehow fitting it into her incredibly busy life. Many of you will know Brigid from the Freecycle stall at the monthly One Planet Market, which we ran together and really enjoyed. We had many laughs at some of the unusual and sometimes inexplicable things that people brought in for the stall. It won’t be the same without Brigid’s gentle, patient attention to efforts to re-home, re-purpose and recycle unwanted items.

Brigid has been a committed member of Sustainable Communities almost since it started. She lived her life with a commitment to frugality and sustainability, doing everything she could to make a better world for her grandchildren, extended family and future generations. Brigid was a central part of her large family who all seemed to have amazing musical talent. She was always attending one of their many musical performances or a family celebration. It was hard to keep up with all her activities. Brigid was a passionate supporter of human rights, as well as animal rights. She cared deeply for anyone she met who might be struggling with day to day life and provided support wherever she could. Brigid was also a long term volunteer at community radio station 5mbs (99.9fm), where she did a weekly shift.

Those of us who were lucky enough to know Brigid will miss her enormously. She had such a big heart and cared for everyone. While we will miss her, we will always remember her laughs, her unshakeable commitment to environmental sustainability and to the values and relationships that build a sustainable community. We will remember her friendship, her compassion, her positive approach to life, to exploring new things, to supporting new people and for being our friend.

Rest in peace Brigid.