Obituary of Lloyd K. Brunick, Jr.

BRUNICK LLOYD

Lloyd K. Brunick, Jr. age 75 of Yankton, SD passed away late Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD.  Funeral will be 2:00 PM, Monday, December 9, 2024 at the United Church of Christ (Congregational), Yankton, SD with Rev. Jacqueline Hickox-Morgan and Jerry Webber officiating.  Private family committal services will follow at the Garden of Memories, Yankton, SD.  Visitations will be from 5 to 7 PM, Sunday, December 8, 2024 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Onsite Crematory, Yankton, SD and then one hour prior to the service at the church.  Online condolences may be sent at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. 

To view Lloyd’s service, click this link: https://server.attend.live/static/event/ADmV3.

Lloyd K Brunick was born February 19,1949 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, South Dakota to Lloyd Brunick, Sr and Reva Koster Brunick and passed away surrounded by family after a short battle with cancer on December 3, 2024. He was the second of five children born to Lloyd, Sr and Reva. 

Lloyd grew up in Yankton and was involved in all kinds of activities (sports, raising homing pigeons, playing with the neighborhood kids in East Yankton). He graduated from YHS in 1967 where he was a four-letter athlete and Homecoming Chief. He graduated from Yankton College in 1971. Lloyd loved playing baseball and signed a professional contract with the Minnesota Twins as a pitcher. He played with the Twins organization for three years.

Lloyd married Julene (Julie) Green on May 8, 1970. They had two sons, Matthew Keith and Benjamin Dale. Lloyd started teaching at Yankton Jr. High School in 1972. He taught and coached until 2004, teaching Physical Education and coaching football, basketball, volleyball and baseball in the summer.

Lloyd was an avid outdoorsman. He was always busy with hunting, fishing, gardening, cutting wood, working on the yard, feeding the birds, raising tea roses and planting trees. He loved to plant trees and planted over a thousand of them over the course of the years. He loved trees!

Lloyd and Julie raised their sons on the Missouri River, with a group of close friends who together enjoyed boating, skiing, camping and family time.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Julie, Sons Matt (Becky) and Ben (Lori) and eight grandchildren: Mary (Collin), Austin (Katelyn), Rylend, Addison, Conner, Brycen, Hayley and Lindsey, and one great grandchild Percy. Brothers: Ken Brunick and Dennis Brunick, Sister Dolly (Dominic) Russo.

He was preceded in death by his parents Lloyd and Reva Brunick, brother Ned, parents-in-law Dale and Jacie Green, brother-in-law Jeff Green and niece Terryll Haro.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests you plant a tree or rose bush. Any memorials could be made to Yankton Baseball Association or the United Church of Christ, Congregational Yankton.