The Somerville News Person of the Year 2012, Eugene C. Brune.

Retiring Middlesex County Registrar of Deeds, former Mayor of Somerville, former Alderman Ward 6 and former Board of Health member, Eugene C. Brune, is a man who has many friends both here in Somerville and elsewhere.

What a great guy and what a great guy for Somerville. A family man, public figure, who is generous with both his time and energy to many causes here in Somerville. You won’t find many, if any, former mayors that have been as involved as he has since he left City Hall in the late 1980s. He has kept himself busy full time with various worthwhile charitable causes that have affected and benefited Somerville as a whole. When he was mayor he brought a breath of fresh air to City Hall, embarking on many things that helped to make our city what it is today. The Red Line in Davis was one of many things he worked on to get started and completed. When he left City Hall it was a much different place than when he arrived and city government was better managed than before, leaving those that came afterwards pretty big shoes to fill.

He was founder and co-founder of many charities here, including the Somerville High Scholarship Foundation and many others. Every time you turn around there was some agency or non-profit needing his expertise and, more importantly, his name and what it means to many here in Somerville. He’s retiring from politics now as the new Registrar of Deeds is installed on January 2. Eugene C. Brune will now head off to the private sector, but don’t expect him to retire from loving his city of Somerville. He’s going to be involved in a lot of charities still and we are all grateful for his giving of himself.

We salute Eugene C. Brune as our pick as The Somerville News Person of the Year 2012. We wish him health, a long life and much happiness in his transformation from politician to private citizen, even though a special private citizen here in Somerville.  Say “Hi” to Gene, as he likes to be called, and engage him in a conversation about his favorite subject, Somerville.

Thank you, Gene, for all your hard work and dedication.