Senator Joe Brunos Wife dies after battle with Alzheimer's

My heartfelt Prayers are offered for Senator Bruno and his family. May the Good Lord give you strength in this time of deep sorrow.

Wife of Senate Majority leader dies after battle with Alzheimer’s

BRUNSWICK, N.Y. (AP) — The wife of Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 77.

The senator’s office announced the death of Barbara Bruno Monday evening. Married to the senator for 57 years, she is survived by four children and seven grandchildren as well as her husband. She died at the family’s home in rural Brunswick, 13 miles northeast of Albany.

The funeral will be private. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer released a statement expressing condolences. “Barbara was a loving wife, a devoted mother and beloved grandmother,” Spitzer said. “I ask all New Yorkers to keep the Bruno family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver expressed condolences on behalf of that chamber’s Democratic majority. “Throughout the years that we have worked together, in all of our conversations, Sen. Bruno’s devotion to his family has always been foremost in his heart,” Silver said.

The daughter of Dr. Nelson and Jessie McNeal Frasier, Mrs. Bruno grew up in Glens Falls and graduated from Glens Falls High School in 1948.

“She was a very classy woman, an elegant lady who was very unassuming,” said Kris Thompson, a spokesman for the senator. Although she preferred to stay out of the public spotlight, Mrs. Bruno advocated for causes quietly, behind the scenes, Thompson said.

“She had a passion for animals,” he said. “She was a huge advocate. She loved cats and dogs and horses, and was always taking in strays.”

Former Gov. George Pataki sent condolences to his fellow Republican.

“Through the years that Sen. Bruno and I served together, I came to know Barbara as a wonderful and warm woman who touched so many lives,” Pataki said. “The courage and strength with which she faced her illness are testaments to her character.”

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