Barbara Brodie, nee Bruhnke, passed away on Christmas Day surrounded by her family after a prolonged and courageous battle with A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Her life was celebrated throughout the day and her spirit graced the season with a sense of peace and hope. Born in Park Ridge, Illinois on March 10, 1928, barbara lived a life with a grace and style that inspired those who met her. An inquiring intellect led her to pursue a vast array of interests including music, gardening, bird watching, horseback riding and the design and creative furnishings of a warm and loving home. Her creativity inspired her children and grandchildren to view life with a sense of wonder, joy and profound gratitude for it’s many blessings. Barbara married her high school sweetheart Donald Brodie in August of 1948. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced on the movie screen during their first date and afterwards Don and Barbara danced all the way home. The dance continued for 55 years and those lucky enough to be part of it were (and are) continually amazed by it’s style. To the end Barbara’s lifelong pursuit of education took many forms. As an avid reader of many subjects and a keen lover of language, she made a wonderful partner when it came time to do the Sunday crossword puzzle. She was able to share the things she had learned with subtlety and humor that survives in her four children: Kent, Jenny (Roger) Stoddard, Sara (Russell) Foszcz and Suzy (Bill) Vogler. Her artwork, particularly her animal portraits, reflects sensitivity to the world around her and the love of the lines and forms of that world. She inherited a love and appreciation of music from her parents, in particular her mother Rosetta. Family gatherings were, and are, enlivened by many a sing-along and extemporaneous performances in a variety of styles and genres. While not always perfect in pitch, they are always delivered with great humor and warmth. Barbara passes along to family and friends her deep commitment to justice, human dignity and peace. In times when it was not easy to stand up for her beliefs, she led by example in her support of civil rights, the need for quality education and her knowledge of the futility of war. All of these attributes and many more are reflected in the home that Barbara and Don created. As a wonderful cook and hostess, their home was always open and inviting. Those who have come through the doors have always been welcomed with good food, spirited conversation and much, much laughter. Her children are instilled with the knowledge that home is a nuturing, loving, and lively place and seek to emulate it as they continue on, passing the love and traditions of that place to their own children, Emily, Joshua, Elizabeth, Samuel, Cooper, Jordan, and Brodie. While home was central to their lives, Barbara and Don traveled the United States and the world extensively. Her interest in the world and its people was shared on many trips with family and good friends. From simple cabins to garnd hotels, always with an awareness and sensitivity to the responsibilities we have to the world in which she so fully lived. Perhaps no other word personifies Barbara Brodie better than integrity. Her respect for her fellow man, her unwavering awarenes and commitment to the health of the planet, and lifelong fight against ignorance and intolerance serve as a constant source of inspiration to her family, her frieds and all who knew her. These qualities remained fully intact even as her body failed her. She passed from this world with a spirit that will live on in all she touched. There will be a memorial reception on Monday, December 29, 2003 at Woodstock Country Club at 10310 Country Club Rd. in Woodstock, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations going to the Les Turner ALS Foundation, 8142 N. Lawndale Avenue, Skokie, IL 60076-3322.
