They say that a story told is a life lived and it is with great sadness and sorrow that after a courageous battle with kidney failure the family of Rudy Brennert announces his passing on May 13, 2020. He passed away peacefully before noon in his own home surrounded by loved ones. He will remain loved, remembered, and missed beyond measure for all time. He was an honorable and dignified man in life and death keeping his unique sense of humor until the end. Mourning his passing are daughter Stephanie (Siegfried), son Robert (Lori), son-in-law Joe (Ela), grandchildren, Donald (Caroline), Stephan (Trish), Sophia, Jennifer (Sean), Kimberly, great-grandchildren, Tristan, Sydney, Ashton, Kadence, Landon and Alexandra.
Rudy was predeceased by his wife Ursula in 2013 and his daughter Karla in 2015.
Rudy was born in Elbingerode, Harz, Germany on December 21, 1930, and grew up with his grandparents. His schooling concluded at the age of fourteen and he went into an apprenticeship at a local shop. Soon after, he received his military orders to train for war. Fortunately, the war ended before his 15th Birthday in 1945. Following the war he worked in a local mine, and after marrying Ursula in 1950, he moved to West Germany before the borders were closed. In Stuttgart, West Germany, he began working for Mercedes-Benz until 1958 when the decision was made to move to Canada.
He immigrated to Canada in January, 1958, and his wife, brother-in-law and his two daughters joined him six months later. His main employer in those years was Mercedes-Benz of Canada in Toronto. He became a skilled mechanic and was offered the position as a training engineer. In 1966 he was offered the position of Service Manager for Western Canada and moved his family of five to Calgary where he purchased the family's first house. For work, he travelled throughout the Western Provinces and often made business trips into cities such as New York and Chicago. He left Mercedes-Benz in 1969 but continued working in the auto service industry after moving to North Vancouver that same year.
The most joyous move, however, was the one to the Cariboo in 1976 when he bought a forty-acre property north-east of 100 Mile House on Upper Bradley Creek Road. Joined by his family, it felt like coming home.
Being a jack of all trades and with a pioneering spirit, he cleared the land, built a barn and house, raised animals, gardened, hunted, and fished.
Too young to retire he began working for Noranda Mines at Hendrix Lake in 1978 and worked there until the mine closed down. He assisted in the restoration of the land and retired at the age of sixty-one.
In 1992 he and Ursula moved to Timothy Lake where he built a new house on the lake and continued hunting, fishing and spending time with his growing family. Rudy enjoyed twenty-eight years of retirement, including yearly travel to Yuma Arizona, which brought him and Ursula much delight. In his later years he took up oil painting, and leaves a legacy of lovely landscapes for his entire family.
He will be remembered most for his loyalty to his family, and as a loving and giving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was always there to lend a hand in building something, moving something, refurbishing an old wagon for his great-grandchildren, sharing knowledge and so much more. We know this is his greatest legacy. We will miss him so much.
By request a private family service will be held at a later date.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Nicolson, the Renal staff in Kamloops, the home support service and hospital staff of 100 Mile House for their ongoing care and support.
Donations in Rudy's memory may be made to the 100 Mile House Hospital and condolences sent to S. Klausat, P.O. Box 388 Lac La Hache, B.C. VOK 1TO.
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