Philip Terry Brubaker
Philip Terry Brubaker was born March 29, 1946 in Waynesville, Missouri. He passed away on May 28, 2022 in San Rafael, California at the age of 76. A recipient of the National Merit Scholarship, he attended University of California, Berkeley for his undergraduate degree and continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles where he earned his Master of Public Health degree. He was an accomplished professional in the field of environmental disaster response, and served for more than two decades as the regional Chief of Emergency Response for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands. He followed his government service with a consulting career based in Washington D.C. As an intermezzo between his college degree pursuits, he served in the U.S. Army, completing Officer Candidate School in 1970.
Central to Terry's life was his beloved family: Susan, his wife of 54 years, his three sons, Joe, Dan, and Nick, and their wives, Kyong Hee, Alva, and Chevenee, and, of course, the apple of his eye – his beautiful granddaughter, Ayla. Terry loved guitar-playing, the blues, good wine, and wicked humor, the last of which he met with a wry smile or, if the presenter was lucky, barely contained hysterical laughter. He will be missed more than can be expressed by this cherished family, including his brother Joe, sister Judy, and their respective families.
To say Terry exited this world without fanfare is to say he likely did it exactly how he wanted. No extended suffering, no drawn-out wordy goodbyes, but just a "one-day-adios," when surely he felt it was the right time. Those of us who knew him well should have no doubt of this. We can also be sure he knew that those who love and are loved live forever in our memories – memories of talking, laughing, shared music, meals, big and small moments. We can believe in the continuity of Terry's life through faithfully remembering these moments. Memory doesn't end and neither will he.
Peace and Love through memories of Terry – husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, forever. <3