BRUGGE, DAVID MARTIN Age 85, passed away Friday, March 15th, at the Rehabilitation Center of Albuquerque. He was born and grew up in Jamestown, New York, to Oswald and Frances Brugge. He served in the US Army at the end of World War II. David attended the University of New Mexico on the GI Bill, graduating with a BA in anthropology in 1950 after only three years. While working for the Unitarian Service Committee in Gallup, he met Ruth (Sherlog) Brugge, a social worker from Massachusetts. They were married in Mexico in 1959. David was preceded in death by Ruth in 1990. He is survived by three children, who were raised on the Navajo Nation during their early childhood: Doug, married to Phyllis Fonseca and their daughter, Camille, of Cambridge, MA; Steve married to Karen, and their son, Adam, of Albuquerque; and daughter, Sarah, a student at Brandeis University; Janet McGillivray married to Steve, of Fountain Hills, AZ. In the 1960s he worked for the Navajo Tribe and from 1974 to his retirement, David worked for the National Park Service. He was best known for his scholarship and advocacy on behalf of the Navajo people. He is the author of the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute: An American Tragedy (UNM Press, 1994). He received an honorary doctorate from UNM in 2005 in recognition of his many intellectual contributions. He was always interested in nature and had a strong knowledge of and love for Southwestern plants and animals. During his retirement, he was also an ardent proponent of liberal causes, including opposing the war in Iraq. Many people will remember him as someone who was always willing to help others with their scholarship or simply to discuss the topics close to his heart. He will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched in ways, big and small. At David’s request, no service is planned, but a celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, June 23rd. The family may be contacted at 803 Maverick Trl SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123 or s.brugge@yahoo.com
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Obituary for BRUGGE
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