Tate Brunner

With profound sadness we announce the passing of Tate (Nancy Ann) Brunner who died peacefully at home on August 20, 2025, at the age of sixty-eight in Doylestown Pa. 

She is survived by her wife of 28 years Margaret Purcell and her brothers Michael (Roz), John (Ketty), and her nieces Kelsey (Brian), Anna Nicole (Brian), Elena (Kira), and many cousins and friends.

Tate was born in Tonawanda, a suburb of Buffalo NY but grew up in Howell New Jersey. Tate’s great uncle was once the owner of Brunner’s Tavern in Amherst, a landmark in the area.  

Tate is a graduate of Juniata College (B.S. in Clinical Psychology), SUNY Plattsburg (M.S. in Clinical Psychology), and the Florida Institute of Technology (Ph.D. in Neuropsychology).

Tate was a retired Clinical Psychologist with a division of Rutgers University (UCHC) that provided mental health services for the New Jersey Department of Corrections.  Tate was also a licensed School Psychologist and at one time an Assistant Professor at Georgian Court University.

Tate was a published co-author of the “Guide to the Qualitative Scoring for the Modified Version of the Bender-Gestalt test.”

Reading was always a passion of Tate’s, fostered by her paternal grandmother. Reading 4 to 5 books a week was common for Tate.

Running, hiking adventures, traveling and being outdoors were her joys. Later in life she loved competing in 5k’s and half marathons. Playing field hockey in college with her best bud Nancy (Ozzie) was one of her fondest memories of her college days. She was also an avid Yankee, Buffalo Bills and WNBA fan.

Her favorite group was the Grateful Dead with Jerry Garcia. She traveled all over the country to attend their concerts – 95 in total. Janice Joplin was also one of her favorite singers who she learned to appreciate and admire as a young teen.

Tate loved animals, especially dogs. She supported senior dog rescue groups and did dog sitting in her community.

For all who knew Tate she was a compassionate and caring women who did not focus on material possessions but on personal fulfillment and meaningful relationships. She was a quiet, introspective person who believed that all things are constantly changing and impermanent.

“Be Still and Know that I am God.”

Donations in Tate’s honor can be made to Marty’s Dog Sanctuary 118 County Rd 526, Allentown, NJ 08501 and the American Cancer Society.