Eloisa Fernandez Bruner

It is with great sorrow that the family of Eloisa Fernandez Bruner (b. 11/10/1950) announces that she passed away on October 15, 2026 at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a short illness. Eloisa lived fully present in every moment, always giving her authentic self and accepting others as they were in return. She could make a stranger into a friend within moments through a sincere curiosity and fearlessness that built her the community she has today, one that spans the many chapters of her life.

Eloisa was born in Havana, Cuba to Mario Fernandez Tabernilla and Isabel de la Caridad Piedra y Montalvo, where they and Eloisa’s two sisters Teresita and Isabel Herminia (“China”) resided until relocating to the United States in 1960 following the Cuban Revolution. This transition left an indelible mark on Eloisa, instilling her deep patriotism for the United States and what it provided for her and her family. Her family settled in Philadelphia where she attended Sacred Heart schools and later Cabrini College, her Catholic upbringing shaping her education as it would her core beliefs.

In 1976 she married Bill Bruner III, with whom she would spend the next four decades building a family starting in Philadelphia and West Hartford, and ultimately settling for the majority in Towson, Maryland. There she would raise her four children while undertaking increasing professional work, first as a teacher for middle school Spanish and later as a Teacher’s Assistant for elementary school students at St Joseph School - Fullerton. In that role her warmth, authenticity, and eagerness to support others inspired generations of young people while ensuring teachers could be at their best.

Over the past five years Eloisa would often say she was “living her best life”. After moving to Fallston, Maryland her interests expanded rapidly through a vast new world of neighbours and friends. She was active in reading groups, focusing on American political and military history, admiring the brilliance of others. She always had a puzzle going in the house and a mahjong game to attend. She was the life of the party at the Legion even as she heaped praise on others for their charm. No one was more generous with compliments than Eloisa, no one more loyal in times of need. In her final chapters she travelled extensively, racking up new experiences and insights with a boldness that only deepened her many close relationships.

A loving mother, Eloisa was always there for a (long) chat, unflinchingly supportive of even the most adventurous moves by her children even as she would be unflinchingly honest about what she thought. She was defined by a fierce love of her family.

Eloisa’s unabashed honesty and openness quickly charmed those lucky enough to be with her. Her boldness in seeking out help when she needed it and letting her emotional guard down opened countless doors for her- sometimes literally. In an age of increasing distrust, people wanted to connect with someone so forward and sincere.

Her effusive affection for others, even (and perhaps especially) new people, is all the more remarkable given the loss she faced in life. She is predeceased by her parents Mario and Isabel, her twin sister Teresita and younger sister China, all of whom she loved and admired deeply and kept alive in memory until the end. Her legacy will continue to shape the lives of those who survive her, her children Nicolette Bruner (Alex), Virginia Bruner (James), Will Bruner IV (Elise), and Weston Bruner (Nicholai), and five grandchildren, Igor, Scarlett, Mario, Walter, and Joanna.

We invite all who knew her to join us in a joyful celebration of her life at University Baptist Church on November 7, 2026 at 11am.