William H Brug

William H. “Bill” Brug, 80, of New Philadelphia passed away in Cleveland Clinic on September 2, 2012.

Born in Cincinnati, O. on December 6, 1931, he was the son of the late William H. and Dorothy (Ratterman) Brug, Sr.

A 1951 graduate of New Philadelphia High School, Bill then joined the United States Navy where he served his country for four years. He continued his formal education at The Ohio State University, graduating in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.

At OSU, Bill met his lifelong partner, the former Shirley B. Baker, whom he wed in Emmanuel Lutheran Church on August 10, 1958.

Bill’s passion for soil was evident throughout his lifetime both in his professional career and in his retirement activities. He worked for the United States Department of Agriculture as a soil scientist throughout Ohio and Minnesota. He also shared his talents with the Soil and Water Conservation District as a supervisor and was the founding president of the Norma Johnson Center.

Other hobbies Bill enjoyed included canoeing, sailing, camping, history, and archeology.

Bill will be deeply missed by his family including his wife, Shirley; his son, W. Patrick (Bridgid) Brug of Los Alamos, NM; his grandchildren, Elizabeth, Mary, Rebecca, and Deborah Brug; his brother-in-law, Butch (Barbara) Baker of New Philadelphia; and his nieces and nephews, Todd (Rhonda) Baker and Dwayne (Tiffany) Shepherd, both of New Philadelphia, Tracy (John E. ) Schlegel of Dover, Jane (John) Durkin of Reynoldsburg and Tim (Jody) Mealey of Zanesville. Great-nieces and great-nephews complete Bill’s family.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Nancy Jane Hagen, in 1981.

Visitation will be held in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. with the Emmanuel Lutheran Church Council Service beginning at 6:45 p.m. A service will be held in Emmanuel Lutheran Church on Friday beginning at 11 a.m. with The Rev. Stephen L. Patrick officiating. Visitation will be held in the church one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow in Evergreen Burial Park at New Philadelphia.

Friends and family are invited to the church fellowship hall following the committal service, where Bill’s church family will host a reception.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 202 East High Ave., New Philadelphia, O. 44663, Community Hospice House, 716 Commercial Ave SE, New Philadelphia, O. 44663, or the Norma Johnson Center, 2201-B Progress St., Dover, O. 44622.