, 86, a resident of the City of Falls Church with his wife Nancy for over 50 years, died in his sleep after a long illness October 29 at a home in Richmond where he and his wife moved recently to better accommodate his failing health. A funeral service is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. today at the St. James Church on Spring Street in Falls Church.
Affectionately known as “Budd” by family and friends all his life, he and Nancy were frequent participants in a wide range of community events and on September 16, 1997 celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They lived in their home on Hillwood Avenue for more than 50 years before moving to the Brighton Gardens in Richmond in September. He was a long-time member of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by four children, Timothy, Mary Kate, Tess and Bea. He worked with the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 42 years.
Born June 12, 1917 in Washington, D.C., Bresnahan attended McKinley High School, graduating in 1935 and attending Wilson Teachers College, graduating in 1939. He was editor of his school newspaper at both institutions. In college, he met and married his wife on Sept. 16, 1937.
During World War II, Bresnahan was a sergeant in the 8th Armored Division of the U.S. Army and served as radio operator in the European theatre, traveling across many of the occupied countries until the war’s end.
After the war, he went to work in the U.S. Department of Labor in its Bureau of Labor Statistics, where he became Acting Deputy Commissioner. He retired after 42 years in 1987.
In addition to the Democratic Committee, Bresnahan was active in a number of groups including the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Charities and the Catholic War Veterans. He was a founding member of the Espionage Society and an active member of the St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church, where he served as lector, Eucharistic minister and usher.
Survivors include: son Timothy, head of the economics department at Stanford University, and wife Lenis with children Matthew and Claire; daughter Mary Kate, who has two Ph.D.’s, and husband Peter Hohmann with daughter Hannah; daughter Tess, who holds a Master’s Degree, and children Irene and Willa Woofter; and, daughter Bea, an attorney, and husband Colin Cracknell.
