Robert Jackson Bremer

Robert (“Rob”) Jackson Bremer died after a brief but hard-fought battle with acute myeloid leukemia on April 2, 2020. He was 74 years old. He was a graduate of Shelbyville (IN) High School (class of ’63), Carleton College (class of ’67), and the University of Michigan Law School (JD, 1971). A husband, a brother to two men, a father to six children and a grandfather to six grandchildren, Robert passed away holding the hand of his youngest son at the Covenant Care hospice wing of West Florida Hospital in Pensacola at 9:13 p.m. Despite limitations on visitors amidst a global pandemic, he was able to see and be seen by his immediate family via video chat during his final hours. Born in Texas, raised in Indiana and tempered by battle in the jungles of Vietnam, Robert was an attorney, a community college instructor, a substitute teacher for the Tuscaloosa school system, a fundraiser for numerous organizations, and finally, a librarian. A voracious consumer and sharer of art both inane and profound, Robert was particularly fond of the works of JRR Tolkien and Terry Brooks. Often when relaxing at home he could be heard humming madrigals, folk tunes, or novelty songs, such as “Cigarettes, and Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women.” In recent years, Robert had started to share small pun-based jokes with his wife and children, frequently those printed on the sticks of popsicles he loved to eat. Robert was preceded in death by his parents, John Alfred and Marian Elizabeth Bremer, and by his brother David Alfred Bremer. He is survived by his wife Karen Cook, currently residing in Annapolis, MD, and by his children, David Huffman (wife Mimli Roychoudhury), Derek Bremer (wife Emily), Shannon Bremer, Peter Huffman (wife Fernanda), John Huffman (wife Katie), and Arthur Cook Bremer, his brother Steven Bremer (wife Paula), six grandchildren, five nieces and nephews, and sister-in-law Brenda Wood (widow of David Bremer). Robert often guided his life under the basic principle of perseverance — a fundamental belief that in any situation there is always a solution, no matter how unsavory the path may be to reach it. It is the belief of his youngest child that Robert held to this principle even at the end of his life, as he survived 11 days in the hospital to be brought safely to a facility where he could offer some peace to those who loved him. A recipient of two Purple Hearts, Bronze and Silver stars for valor, and multiple commendations, he was taken away by two attendants of Faith Chapel Funeral Home draped in the flag of the country he served. A memorial service will be held at a time when his loved ones can gather safely to celebrate the life of a man who will live on in our hearts and memories.

Tributes

Robert Jackson Bremer

November 18, 1945 - April 2, 2020