Fernand “Ferd” LaBrunerie, 88, of Columbia, Missouri, passed away peacefully with his family at his side on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Born on September 13, 1936, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Walker and Katherine (Conley) LaBrunerie, Ferd lived a life shaped by curiosity, integrity, and affection for those around him. Until just weeks before his passing, he began each morning as he had for decades: with the careful reading, in Classical Greek, of Thucydides, Homer and other texts.
Ferd graduated from Harvard College in 1958 with a degree in Classics, a lifelong passion that animated both his personal and professional life. After serving in military intelligence in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1962, he married Helen Ann “Ann” Greathouse, who survives him.
Though he began his career in banking, Ferd’s entrepreneurial spirit and gift for financial strategy led him to found his own firm, in 1966 which became LaBrunerie Financial. Over the decades, he earned industry accolades and the highest respect of his peers and clients—not only for his acumen but for his unfailing kindness and ethics.
Ferd’s intellectual pursuits remained central throughout his life. He wrote and published translations of ancient Greek drama, including The Bacchae, which was produced at Stephens College. He served on the Missouri Arts Council in the 1970s, championing funding for the arts across the state, particularly in Columbia, and also served on Harvard’s Arts and Sciences Classics Curriculum Committee. At the University of Missouri, he and Ann endowed a longstanding Greek and Latin prize and supported the university in many ways. The MU Classics Library bears their names in recognition of their generous commitment. Ferd also received the Distinguished Service Award from the MU College of Arts and Science and a special Service award from The Classical Association of the South and Middle West.
A lifelong advocate for civil liberties and civic engagement, Ferd helped establish the Boone County Chapter of the ACLU in the 1960s and volunteered for political campaigns, bringing his energy and convictions to public service.
Ferd’s warmth, wit, and unmistakable twinkle made him beloved in every corner of his life. He was as comfortable discussing Sophocles as he was on the tennis courts where he brought levity and camaraderie playing doubles well into his 80s.
He is survived by his children, Alexander (Robin) LaBrunerie of Columbia; Jennifer (Fariborz) Heydari of London; and Rebecca (Joshua) Duffy of Seattle; grandchildren August (Amber) LaBrunerie, Larkin (Jacob) Dougan, and Zia Duffy; great-grandchild Elliot LaBrunerie; his brother Walker LaBrunerie of Kansas City; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Katherine (Richard) Nenneman.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to The Humane Society or LaBrunerie Classics Library Endowment in care of the University of Missouri. Donations to the University may be made by check (please note Ferd LaBrunerie DXD54) or online at www.giving.missouri.edu. Click on Honor of Memory Information to note Ferd LaBrunerie.