On Wednesday evening RiverView Health held a retirement celebration for Kent Bruun, who is retiring after 16 years as the Director of the RiverView Foundation. A large crowd came out wish Bruun well at the celebration held in the hospital’s cafeteria.
Bruun reflected on his life since moving to Crookston, calling his time at RiverView the most fulfilling in his life. “My wife and I were young once upon a time and only had one child moving here in 1977 with Robertson Lumber Company,” said Bruun. “When you’re that age, you never know where life is going to take you, and you have no concerns whatsoever. And it’s been a wild ride, 20 years in the men’s apparel business. When I closed my business 16 years ago, the timing was perfect because this position as the Director of the Foundation happened to open up right as I was closing my business. I think everyone dreams to own their own business and I certainly enjoyed that career. But I have to say that working for a community hospital and knowing the impact that charitable dollars have as we look at this new structure we’re building there’s probably been nothing more fulfilling in my 44 years of career than working for the foundation.”
Bruun said he plans to dust off some old hobbies in retirement and reconnect with people he and his wife, Cindy, haven’t seen recently. “Whatever Cindy tells me to do, I suppose would be safe,” said Bruun. “All of my hobbies have been put on a shelf for quite some time, so we’ll dust off those golf clubs and be taking a short trip with my daughters for a week or so. Just staying connected with people and people who have retired say it is a time of life where you get a little more selfish with your time and do some things that you haven’t done. We just need to stay healthy and reconnect with some folks we haven’t seen for a while.”
