Joseph Alan Brunk
June 11, 1960 ~ April 15, 2017
His smile was as big as his head, which was only exceeded by the size of his heart. He was good at basketball, golf and talking on the phone, great at negotiating deals
and had to be nationally ranked in arguing.
He enjoyed black jack, craps, betting on football and going to Vegas with the boys but he loved teaching his two boys how to play basketball and then watching them develop.
He chased his wife-to-be Helen around Indianapolis until she relented and married him. He was loyal, honest and always provided the best for his family.
He answered to Big Joe, Brunkster or Joe Joe for much of his 56 years.
But for of all his attributes the very best thing about Joe Brunk was his ability to make friends – and keep them.
From Southport High School to Hanover College to playing hoops in Sweden to caddying on the Ben Hogan Tour to being an assistant basketball coach at Betheny Nazarene to dominating the B League at the Madison Avenue Athletic Club to starting B&M Amusements to coaching AAU basketball, Joe made friends like Long’s makes doughnuts.
He had a crazy laugh, a marvelous sense of a humor and a genuine likeability that cemented so many relationships.
Big Joe grew up without a father, raised by mother Dee and grandma Hilda, but blossomed in that loving environment and always had a pleasant personality.
He was a late bloomer in basketball but, between his outside range and inside aggression, he starred for Southport before becoming an NAIA All-American at Hanover in 1982.
After a year overseas, he came back to Indianapolis and tried a few menial jobs but figured out he could actually make more money hustling golf Monday through Friday. The big lug had an amazing short game and was a good putter – two things mandatory when you were playing for $400 with $20 in your pocket.
Then one day he met a couple guys from Anderson who got him interested in video games and pinball machines. In 1988, his net worth was $200 and he had one employee but 20 years later B&M Amusements is a good business as Joe displayed a sharp mind for business.
But his pals, trips and business ventures all took a backseat to his sons – Joey and Johnny. He made sure they got what he didn’t – a dad who cared about their happiness and wellbeing. Sure, there was plenty of tough love on the basketball court and he really never intended to make Johnny walk five miles in a snowstorm for throwing the ball away in overtime. He pushed Joey extra hard but it drove him to go from a question mark to runner-up in Mr. Basketball in 2015 and a full ride with Butler. And Johnny has the potential to be even better.
When Big Joe was struck down by a brain tumor last October, his family and friends prayed for the best and got the worst news – Stage 4 cancer. He battled courageously and Helen, Joey and Johnny were with him every step and it’s doubtful many kids could grow as close to their pop as those two did in 19 and 15 years.
The Brunkster was the kind of guy you want your daughter to marry, your kids to grow up like and your neighborhood to welcome. He was truly a prince of a person.
Joe’s Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, 6 – 10 p.m., at the Atrium, 3143 East Thompson Road, Indianapolis. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Daniel F. O’Riley Funeral Home. Visit www.ORileyFuneralHome.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.
In lieu of flowers, the Brunk family would encourage friends to donate money to continue research for a cure. Joe’s neuro surgeon, Dr. Mahua Dey, is working tirelessly on a vaccine to help patients afflicted with this aggressive form of cancer. Checks can be made out to the Joseph A. Brunk Revocable Trust and can be left on Tuesday evening at Joe’s celebration of Life at the Atrium.
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Joe and I graduated from Southport High School in 1978. I was a student manager on the basketball team, and Joe was our best player. My greatest memory of high school is standing on a ladder, cutting down a piece of the net after we won the sectional championship our junior year. That wouldn’t have happened without Joe Brunk.
A few months ago, Joe talked to me about his son’s college basketball career. Plenty of guys with a son playing college ball would hope he would get lots of playing time, win championships, receive awards, and so forth. But Joe’s focus was on something else. He told me, 'The guys I played with at Hanover became my lifelong friends. I told Joey, ‘That’s what I want for you in your college basketball experience: to develop friendships that will last a lifetime.’' That tells you something about what kind of man Joe was. He wanted something for his son that he would value long after his playing days were over. It shows how much friendship meant to him. Joe had good friends because he knew how to be a good friend.
Big Joe will be sorely missed, but he will never be forgotten. My prayer is that Helen, Joey, and Johnny will find comfort in their cherished memories of this man who was a great husband, father, and friend.
I am a classmate of Joe’s from Hanover College. I loved watching Joe play basketball. He made the game look almost effortless. After graduation, Joe would stop by the college from time to time. When he did he always found me, gave me a hug and asked how I was doing. His presence would light up a room. His presence was sorely missed when we held a jersey retirement ceremony at the college in February. From now on Joe, I will think of you and your family when I go into the gym and see your jersey hanging on the wall. Joe, you were one of a kind. We will all miss you.
I graduated a year behind Joe at Southport High School. I’ll always remember him as the fun outgoing guy who was friends with everyone. He was a great athlete and an even better man. I feel lucky to have known him. My condolences to his family and friends. Miss you Joe. Save me a tee time.
Saw a picture of Joey in the paper few yrs ago, called Mark and confirmed that had to be Helen’s son. Since then have followed his career in the paper and thought of you often and how neat that must be to see the success of your son at that level. My sincere condolences with your loss. My prayers have been,and will continue to be with you guys moving forward.
I would run into Joe from time to time downtown or at the Pacer games and Butler games as well as the SHS games sitting next to him. He’d always take a moment to talk to me. I remember when we played in the NBA/Pro-Am league. We were supposed to have NBA players on our team but we didn’t get any so it was us against the NBA players basically. We were told that Clark Kellogg was going to be on our team but because it was a tile floor, and since Clark had bad knees, he couldn’t play. I remember a game when we were getting beat pretty bad and Joe decided he was going to take over the game. We still lost and Joe hated losing but who doesn’t. I think he just expressed it more. I played against Joe at MAAC and I remember when I blocked his shot once and he got mad at me and threw the ball at me. I threw it back at him. I have been watching Joey play as much as I can and look forward to watching more of him and I plan to watch Johnny play at FCHS. My prayers to the family and may God be with you all.
John Gillaspy