Thomas “Tom” Brubaker

Tom Brubaker passed away at the age of 73 on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 after struggling with COVID-19 since early November. He was born on January 31, 1947 in Lancaster, PA to Roy and Martha Jane (Reist) Brubaker. Tom grew up in Lititz, PA and later attended Hesston and Goshen Colleges. Following two years of voluntary service in Mexico, Tom returned to Goshen College, where he met Kathy Matthews. They married on July 17, 1971 in West Liberty, OH. Tom and Kathy moved to State College, PA where Tom completed his undergraduate program at Penn State University in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in business management. Tom and Kathy moved to Ann Arbor, MI in 1973 where they both attended graduate school. Tom graduated from the University of Michigan in 1976 with a master's degree in landscape architecture. Tom was a landscape architect and planner with Johnson, Johnson, and Roy, Inc. from 1976 until 1982 and then did architectural design and construction project management with the University of Michigan Hospitals until 1998. Subsequently, he was Facilities Manager for Michigan Administrative Information Services at the University of Michigan until 2003. Tom was an active member of ...[more]

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lom Community Church, a Mennonite and Church of the Brethren congregation in Ann Arbor, MI where he volunteered for years as the treasurer, was on various committees, and had a regular role in worship or song leading. He also helped in several activities and major projects with Emerson School and Pioneer High School and was instrumental in establishing the Ann Arbor Ten Thousand Villages store. He participated with various community and church organizations cleaning up after disasters and building homes for those in need both locally and internationally. Earlier in life, Tom participated in a two-year voluntary service program teaching in the mountains near Oaxaca, Mexico and in Puebla, Mexico. Tom had an active faith, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and was a man of honor and integrity. He held his own with tenacity and deferred with grace. Tom was quite creative, making floor lamps out of old tractor and harvester parts, designing a chandelier, and building many other household furniture and shelving units. He also enjoyed reading, singing, playing the guitar, and participated in choirs, small groups/bands, and talent shows. Tom loved nature, the outdoors, and growing things, whether indoors or outdoors on their large property. He was the cook in the family and also liked ping-pong, handball, volleyball, table games, and puzzles. Tom cherished his traveling adventures with his family and visited almost every state and over 20 countries. His extended family (194 and counting) was especially important to him and a priority through the years. There were many trips multiple times a year to Pennsylvania and Ohio and beyond for holidays, family reunions, graduation parties and weddings. Tom was the victim of an auto accident in 2003, resulting in a traumatic brain injury, which, while life-altering for Tom and his family, did not change his faith, his values, love of his family, nor his passion for life. Tom is survived by his wife of 49 years, Kathy; his children, Erik (Maria Luz), Dustin (Lamia Marouf), and Jenna (Adam Kornblit); his grandchildren, Tomás, Dristi, Fadi, Lamees, Ganem, Salim, and Laura; his siblings, Donald (Elaine) and Leon (Carol); his brother-in-law, Ethan Lehman; and many other in-laws, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents; and his sister, Virginia Lehman. A celebration of Tom's life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to Ten Thousand Villages; 704 Main St, Akron, PA 17501 or online here: give.tenthousandvillages.com or to Habitat for Humanity Huron Valley; 2805 S. Industrial Highway, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 or online here: h4h.org/donate-now. The family would like to thank Rainbow Rehabilitation for the loving care and support of Tom in their home and at Rainbow residential and rehab facilities through the years. To read the full obituary, please click here: https://www.niefuneralhomes.com/memorials/thomas-brubaker/4455194/index.php