OBITUARY Bruce Ronald Graunke February 26, 1951 – August 17, 2018 Bruce Ronald Graunke passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 17, 2018, in Katy, Texas, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Bruce was born on February 26, 1951, to Donald and Aili Graunke (both deceased) in Seattle, Washington. He graduated from West Seattle High School in 1969 and started college at Western Washington State College (now Western Washington University), in Bellingham, Washington.
After his first year, he transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. After completing undergraduate studies, he and his first wife, Lori Hollis, and their daughter, Chaunaci, moved to Houston, Texas, where he earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He worked for the Houston Police Department as a staff psychologist before spending the remainder of his career with the Department of Veterans Affairs, first in Houston and then at American Lake in Washington, until his retirement in 2015.
Bruce had a great passion for his profession as a clinical psychologist and seldom missed a day of work. He also volunteered for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for over 30 years, including serving as the President of the Houston Chapter. Bruce fostered a partnership between NAMI and the VA, and he was the first psychologist to play an active role with the NAMI Veterans Council, where he served as secretary.
In 2008, Bruce was named Psychologist of the Year by NAMI. Bruce’s daughter, Chaunaci, introduced Bruce to Martha Richardson (Marty), and they were married on June 4, 1988. Bruce and Marty moved to Washington in 2000 to be closer to family.
Marty passed away on July 4, 2014. In 2016, Bruce returned to Texas, where he lived until his passing. Bruce was known for his compassion for family, veterans, and friends and would always take time to connect authentically with those he met.
He was also known to be competitive in Ping Pong, card games (especially Poker), and Chess, along with many other games he liked to play with family and friends. Bruce is survived by his daughters Chaunaci Gage (granddaughters, Kasey and Mary) and Erika Lyles (son-in-law, Henry Lyles, and grandchildren, Taylor, Madison, and Aiden), and his brothers, Steve Graunke (sister-in-law, Michelle Graunke) and Brian Graunke. A memorial service was held at St. Matthias Anglican Church in Katy, Texas on August 25th.
A graveside service with a reception to follow will take place in Seattle, Washington at Forest Lawn Cemetery and Funeral home at 2pm on Saturday, September 15th. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your preferred Veterans or Mental Health Organization.
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