Jerry Allin Brownfield
March 29, 1942 - December 07, 2017
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Jerry Allin Brownfield
March 29, 1942 - December 07, 2017
Obituary
FOR what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek spirit unencumbered?
ONLY when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
Kahlil Gibran
Jerry Brownfield, Bellingham, WA, after a life full of love and adventure, “walked into the forest” with jaunty steps, and deep clear breaths, on December 7, 2017. He had a deep and abiding love of the natural world.
He was a man of twinkling eyes, inquisitiveness and love, an incredible son, brother, uncle, husband, father and friend to all.
Jerry was the son of Allen Brownfield, and Alice (Zimmerman) Brownfield, of Sacramento, CA. Married (June 27, 1964) for fifty-three years to Virginia Elizabeth (Beth) Batcheller. He received a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis in 1967. Beth and Jerry served in the Peace Corps from 1967-1969 in Honduras, Central America.
Jerry’s engineering degree took him in 1969 to General Mills in Golden Valley, MN for two years, and then to Thermo King (Transport Refrigeration) in Minneapolis, MN for over 30. The family lived in Oranmore, Ireland from 1983 to 1985, as Jerry worked for Thermo King. Jerry and Beth moved to Bellingham in 2004.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Margaret (Brownfield) Harmer. His legacy and memories will live on in daughters Amie Lenore Brownfield and Jenny Elizabeth (Brownfield) Bowefield; grandchildren Erin Beth Bowefield, Dylan Scott Bowefield; sister Caroline (Brownfield) Minto; niece Vicky and nephews Mark Minto and Robin Harmer; and hundreds of friends and acquaintances around the globe.
Jerry was an active volunteer with the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, the Human Rights Film Festival Task Force, a men’s hiking group, and three book groups. He took many courses through the Academy for Lifelong Learning. He was an inventor (wind and solar energy in particular), and active in the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. He loved singing, gardening, hiking, conversing, tinkering, inventing, and writing poetry.
When friends and family were asked who Jerry was for them, their responses included, but were not limited to: adaptable, admired, adventurous, authentic, caring, comfortable, contemplative, creative, diligent, doggedly determined, down to earth, empathetic, enthusiastic helper, ethical, fixer, full of laughter, generous, gentle, good listener, gracious, honorable, honest, humble, imaginative, inclusive, filled with integrity, intelligent, inventive, kind, level headed, loyal, mensch (A person who does the right thing at the right time for the right reason), mentor, non-judgmental, optimistic spirit, peacemaker, poetic, practical wisdom, present to all moments and beauty of life, problem solver, resourceful, respectful, responsible, humorous, smart, sparkling eyes, stand-up guy, steadfast and loyal, strong & stable, supportive, talented, thoughtful, understanding, warm, and wise. Please share memories at this page.
Jerry has walked on and will continue to inspire us by his examples.
Memorial Service, Saturday, January 27, 3:30-6:00 p.m. Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
Donations in his memory to: Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (13 Prospect St.#201, Bellingham, WA 98225), or Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival (http://bhrff.webs.com/donate.htm).
Celebration Of Life
- Date & Time: January 18, 1272 (12:00 AM)
- Venue: Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
- Location: 1207 Ellsworth Street Bellingham, WA 98225 - (Get Directions)
- Phone Number: (360) 73-3-3837
50 responses to Jerry Allin Brownfield
Jack Riehl & Cynthia Brennan says:
December 7, 2017
Dear Jerry…dear amigo…..your spirit is strong….your life is full….has been and will be…..
Did you ever think about how we all got together? I have gone through that Peace Corps Booklet so many times….that is, the PC Booklet from Camp Crozier, Puerto Rico…where we landed a few days after we initially gathered for the first time at the Hotel Sylvania in Philadelphia on February 27, 1967…..in putting together the Santa Fe gathering for this past October (2017), I was through those pages so many times that my copy is worn thin! I had the privilege to interact with everyone more so than anyone….and Jerry, I enjoyed ever minute of it! And each picture of each OCHERO, brought back a flood of memories both of Puerto Rico and then to our time together in Honduras… the various gatherings of Peace Corps friends is a constant and wonderful memory..
.I remember well in Tegucigalpa your working with Jim Peickert and helping me work with the school building for the deaf kids (as we called them!)….Jim told me that the
two of you would work on it….then, as I told the story in Santa Fe, the school was actually constructed!
It was some time in 1970 when we had returned to the States….. I received an invitation to the grand opening! I could not go as I was at the U of Chicago (in school and no money!) so I sent the invite to Jim who, at the time, was in Alabama. (and I think he too was broke!)……so. again, as I said int Santa Fe…thank you amigo…..some day I hope to get to Honduras and see the school……it is a great memory…..
I am so glad you made it to Santa Fe too. And for you to meet my sweetheart, Cynthia. As you and Beth share such a wonderful life…it was important for me to introduce Cynthia to you….she is with me now and we send you a “gran abrazo”!
Today is December 7th – a day for memories which, for me, includes Pearl Harbor…and it is the day that Harriet arrived in Honduras in 1967….it is also the day which Harriet and I bought our home in Cape May (where I am now),
And so today, December 7, 2017, Cynthia and I will walk the three blocks to the ocean….we will look out at the vast wonder in front of us…..and the wonder that is life itself….and we are all passengers….you are with us dear friend….and we are with you…
Much love,
Jack & Cynthia
Jill Brown says:
December 7, 2017
Jerry
I will always appreciate how kind you have been to all of my children. You are always quick with a hello for them. Hannah enjoyed talking with you from when she was a wee toddler.
Sharing your sunny yellow tomatoes with Faith and letting Ethan collect rocks from your drive. And even our fur kids got the royal Jerry treatment. A ready smile and treats. Every dog in our neighborhood would agree. You are good peeps.
I admire what a great partner in life you are to Beth. Over the years I have watched you working by her side.
I have enjoyed our talks about gardening, politics, and life in general.
Love
Jill. Hannah. Faithy and Ethan.
Remus dog
Nancy B. Miller says:
December 7, 2017
Dear Beth,
You and I didn’t know each other well (I was working as executive director of the newly established FUS Foundation when we met), but I regarded you with admiration and still do, perhaps even more after reading your extraordinarily eloquent words about Jerry’s death and your life together. You are, no question, experiencing a tremendous loss–but surviving it magnificently. You have my sympathy and warmest wishes.
Nancy Miller
Ronald E Reafs says:
December 7, 2017
In the brief intersect of our overly busy Peace Corps lives, Jerry was a light. He helped me consolidate scattered ideas into a viable plan that developed into the first building for the Boy Scout Reserve in Valle de Angeles. Jerry guided me to conceptualize, to imagine, to have a mental picture of what could be. And then he drew the plans right down to the nailing patterns for that first building. On top of that he gave me a briefing on how to grade lumber and to estimate board feet. A concept less familiar to me, at that time of my life, than agro-paleontology. He assure me I could do it and I set off for the sawmills in central Honduras. There I picked out three truckloads of lumber. The mill-owner was so impressed by what I did that he paid to have it trucked and delivered to the reserve. The building soon began.
Jerry’s name will not be on the dining/meeting hall of the National Scout Reserve of the Boy Scouts of Honduras, but it should be. In my heart it always will remain a monument to a truly great guy. Thank-you, Jerry.
Bert Monroe says:
December 7, 2017
Dear Beth and family: I so enjoyed working with Jerry at the Whatcom Democrats offices. We volunteered together there for a couple of years. He had a big presence in this town and I will miss him. I’m so glad you and the family have so many lovely memories to keep you warm.Love
Bert Monroe