Activist remembered for decades of efforts to raise up the downtrodden

That became even more apparent to her husband, Bill Getz, and son, Gregor Brune, after they posted news of her death on Facebook. Hundreds of comments ensued, Getz said.

“We didn’t know that her web of influence stretched that far,” Getz said, particularly with younger people. “She inspired them. In some cases where they felt burnt out and needed encouragement, she inspired them to go on.”

CJ Brune, 68, of Lawrence, died April 16 after a brief illness.

She was known for her activism in Lawrence, which started in the Civil Rights era but evolved with the times.

She participated in the February Sisters event of 1972 at Kansas University, an occupation of the East Asian Studies building that led to significant improvements for women at KU. She also participated in the Strong Hall Sit-In of 1965 for civil rights, which, within days, prompted KU to change practices.

When those “worked,” it inspired Brune to go on and do more, said Christine Smith, of Lawrence, who was also at those events and continued to be involved in activism with Brune throughout the years.

“She was always dedicated to the cause, to improving things, to making life better for all of us,” Smith said.

In a 2013 Lawrence Journal-World feature, Brune said she was equally proud of some of the more recent causes she was involved in, including leadership roles with the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice, which holds frequent peace rallies in downtown, registering new immigrants to vote through the Lawrence-Douglas County League of Women Voters and advocating for public transit in the community.

Brune attended KU from 1964 to 1972 while raising her two sons and returned to receive an MBA in 1984, according to her obituary. She spent her professional life on the university staff, working in admissions, the budget office and as business manager for the School of Education.

She volunteered with local nonprofits and civic organizations, including the Lawrence Traffic Safety Commission and the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods.

At home, Brune’s personal library had at least 30,000 books, and she read voraciously, sometimes finishing two in a day, her husband said.

The pair also loved to travel. In recent years, that primarily consisted of road trips to destinations across the continental United States.

“She would want to concentrate on going to as many historical sites as possible,” Getz said. “She liked the history and anything having to do with civil rights and feminism.”

Brune requested that no formal services be held, her husband said. The family plans a celebration of life sometime later this spring.