Obituary

Brian B. Pemberton, a pioneer in the cellular industry and a devoted seaman passed on September 11, 2021, surrounded by his wife of 45 years, Carol, his children, grandchildren, their spouses and partners and his beloved dogs.  Brian was 77 years old.

From the start, Brian was always interested in the sea and was a devout explorer. He was a boy scout, attaining the ultimate designation of Eagle Scout, and a Sea Scout.  He was a Marine and earned a US Coast Guard captain’s license at the age of 18.  Brian was always exploring and was defined by his discipline and willingness to learn.  After graduating from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA in 1966, Brian worked for IBM for 17 years.  During this time, he was given progressively more responsibility.

Brian obtained a master’s degree from Columbia University in New York City in 1982.  Soon after his graduation Brian, became fascinated by the prospect of cellular communications.  Over the course of the next two decades, he served as the CEO of LA Cellular, one of the earliest large city cellular networks, the CEO of American Mobile Satellite Corporation, one of the first companies to launch a commercial satellite for cellular use and the CEO of Rohn Industries, which served the industry Brian helped create.

After his retirement from the telecommunications industry, Brian and Carol bought the company in which he had his boat, Deception, chartered.  The company was located in Bellingham, Washington, and Brian and Carol returned to Washington after living all over the United States. He renamed the company Northwest Explorations and turned it into a prominent local business that featured the always sold-out Mother Goose Tour of Alaska.  NWE was written up worldwide for its quality of service and innovation.   Brian was as comfortable docking in a remote location in Alaska as he was wearing a tuxedo in the finest restaurants and events in NYC and Washington DC.

Despite Brian’s success in business, his greatest success and happiness were his family and friends.  Brian lived a big, adventurous life.  He ran multiple marathons and ultra-marathons, climbed several of the tallest mountains in the world, rock and ice climbed, went scuba diving, fishing, and in his 70s, discovered a passion for motorcycling. He would only ride a Harley which he modified to accommodate his oxygen machine.  Many of these adventures included his 5 children, 5 grandchildren and their spouses and partners.  All these adventures included and enriched the lives of countless dear friends.

Brian was diagnosed with IPF, a rare form of lung disease, in 2018.  He and his family are extremely grateful for the care he received from the University of Washington Medical Center.  This care and Brian’s devotion to living gave his family and friends another four years of memories.

Brian’s family will be hosting a Celebration of Brian’s life at 2:00pm on October 23 at the Bellingham Yacht Club, 2625 S. Harbor Loop Dr, Bellingham, WA 98225.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bellingham Sea Feast or the Salish Sea Institute, Western Washington University.

The Pemberton Family has established the Brian B. Pemberton Memorial Scholarship with the Bellingham Technical College to provide an annual scholarship to students who demonstrate the highest potential with the most financial need. We have established a goal of raising a minimum of $25,000 to fund the endowment. Each year the Foundation will payout 4% of the endowment to fund the annual scholarships. If you would like to contribute to the endowment you can mail your check to:

The Pemberton Family has established the Brian B. Pemberton Memorial Scholarship with the Bellingham Technical College to provide an annual scholarship to students who demonstrate the highest potential with the most financial need. We have established a goal of raising a minimum of $25,000 to fund the endowment. Each year the Foundation will payout 4% of the endowment to fund the annual scholarships. If you would like to contribute to the endowment you can mail your check to,

BTC Foundation
Brian B Pemberton Endowment
3021 Lindberg Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225

Or, you can donate online here: https://www.btc.edu/AboutBTC/BTCFoundation/Index.html#InfoforDonors  After the general information is provided there is a section titled “Enter the Purpose of Your Gift”.  One of the options is: ( )Established (named) Scholarship. The donor would simply designate the name Brian B. Pemberton Endowment. If you have any questions about the Endowment you can contact the Foundation Director Dean Fulton at 360-752-8378, or dfulton@btc.edu. Thank you for your consideration in making a contribution to support the foundation.