In Memoriam: 52-Year Fair Havenite & Former RFH Aide, Kathleen Brounley, 81

Longtime Fair Havenite and former Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) aide, Kathleen Murphy Brounley, passed away “peacefully in her sleep” on Oct. 14. She was 81.

The daughter of the late Dr. Matthew Murphy and Dorothy Gehlhaus Murphy, Kathy was a graduate of Red Bank Regional High School and a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church of Red Bank. She met her husband, Thomas, at the church’s Youth Fellowship as well as many lifelong friends.

The couple lived in Red Bank after marrying and ended up raising their two daughters, Laurie and Amy, in Fair Haven.

Kathleen Brounley
Photo/family via Thompson Memorial Home

“Kathy was devoted to her family and friends and loved her 52 years in Fair Haven. She worked at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional for more than 10 years as an aide and ran the school store. Kathy looked forward to spending two weeks on Lake Winnipesaukee every summer for 49 years. She considered herself blessed to share this special place with her husband, daughters, grandchildren and the other families that became long standing friends. In their later years, Kathy and Tom remained devoted to one another
until Tom’s passing in 2021.”
Loved ones of Kathy Murphy Brounley in her obituary

Kathy is predeceased by her parents, Matthew and Dorothy, and her husband Tom.

She is survived by: her daughters, Laurie Bready, of Texas, and Amy Brounley, of Pennsylvania; her grandchildren, Sam and Lindsay, of Texas, and Madison, of California; her sister, Joan Curtis and husband Bill, of Florida; and nephew, Todd Reusille, of Arizona.

The family will have a private interment Dec. 10 and then a public memorial gathering celebrating the lives of both Tom and Kathy from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on the 10th at Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to local food pantries.

The family would like to particularly thank the following people for their friendship and love: Rob and Gloria Lindsay, Gordon Lindsay, Barb Guenther, the Guenther family, Peg Rizzo, Jane and George Schildge, the Thomas Family, the UMC of Red Bank family, the FHFD and the NH clan — Martin, Ciampa, Palladino, Wisner, Kunz families. Thanks for the memories.