Kathryn J Brake

1941 - 2016

Kathryn J Brake obituary, 1941-2016, Keller, TX

BORN

1941

DIED

2016

FUNERAL HOME

Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home & Memorial Park

5725 Colleyville Blvd

Colleyville, Texas

Kathryn Brake Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Oct. 10, 2016.

Kathryn J. Brake, (better known as Jackie) passed away on Sunday, October 9th, at 3:40 pm. She had been living in Silver Ridge Assisted Living and Memory Care Center for the past four months. She was the daughter of Joseph and Patricia SImmer of Dearborn Michigan and was the oldest of six children. She graduated form Mary Grove College in Detroit, Michigan. After moving to Ft. Worth, Texas in 1982, she was employed by Cantey Hanger Law Firm and subsequently by the law department at Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad where her grand affection for trains grew. Jackie retired from BNSF after fourteen years.



Jackie enjoyed playing the guitar and singing, spending time with family, cooking and crocheting and was a stellar charades player. She is most remembered as being inventively creative, loving to laugh and even more making others laugh. She adored kids and enjoyed every minute she could with her ten grandchildren--making up treasure hunts, going on bear hunts and singing around the campfire.



She is preceded in death by her father and mother and younger brother, Bill Simmer. Jackie is survived by her husband of thrity-two years, Dr. Walter Brake; two sons, Greg Bertin, and Sean Bertin; daughter, Erin Bailey; two step-sons, Todd Brake and Scott Brake; step-daughter, Lynn LaLuzerne; sister, Virginia Finger; three brothers, Dr. Jim Simmer, Dr. Tom Simmer, and David Simmer. She had ten beautiful grandchildren, Andrew Bertin, Abby Bertin, Josh Bertin, Cooper Brake, Jackson Brake, Chelsea Hamaker, Maty Hamaker, Seylor Hamaker, Austin Brake and Bailey Brake.



The service to celebrate Jackie's life will be held at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home in Colleyville on October 14, 2016 at 10:00 am.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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4 Entries

October 13, 2016

Tom Simmer

The more I reflected on Jackie's life, the more surprised I became with the flood of memories, many of them hardly memorable in themselves, but together creating the images of her life that I will always carry with me.

One of my earliest memories is Jackie complaining that she was named Kathryn, spelled exactly the same as my grandmother, who was her arch nemesis growing up. Jackie always had to struggle with the very constraining (also outdated and unrealistic) notions about how one had to behave that her namesake would insist upon on a daily basis. The solution: never use the name Kathryn. So she became, and stayed, "Jackie." This need to break out from oppressive rules such as needing to wear totally horrible leggings to school when it wasn't even that cold gave her a core of determination and resolve that later would serve her well when she faced adversity in her life.

Next, I recall the complaining to my parents that they needed to do a better job keeping us younger kids away from the front door when boyfriends arrived to take her out on a date. Apparently we would beg money in exchange for telling secrets about Jackie. I remember crossing some invisible line when I told her date that she was wearing a wig. She did not think it was funny.

I remember her playing the guitar at mass on Sundays in the St. Alphonsus Gymnasium---the only place where modern songs were allowed. Many parishioners considered them possibly disrespectful. But since the Vatican Council, the mass was in English and this opened a lot of room for innovation. Jackie loved to sing harmony and loved rehearsing for the Sunday performance. Soon the guitar could be seen and heard at cottage beach fires.

For a while, she worked at Greenfield Village. Frequently she related humorous stories of things that happened there, usually involving the "super-duper pooper scoopers."

Jackie was a very committed mother who really enjoyed doing fun things with her kids, like going to the Franklin Cider mill, decorating the home for the holidays, going horseback riding, and much more. She was always picking up on some new child-rearing psychology concepts ranging from Transcendental meditation to behavioral psychology. I recall her getting Erin to practice the piano using M & M's as the "positive reinforcement." I couldn't stop laughing one time when the phone rang, she got up, and Erin pushed as many candies as she could get in her mouth.

She also loved the game of bridge and was fairly good at it. We could usually get a number of good games in at the Lexington beach between 10 and 11 every Sunday--all of us in our church attire.

She excelled at Charades and Peanuts and any other game that required quick thinking or quick wit.

Of course, all of our lives took their turns and Jackie ended up in Texas. We were all happy that she was able to create the loving home environment with Walt and his family that we really wished for her. Meanwhile our own lives in Michigan carried on with a chronic, frenzied pace that didn't leave much room for our lives to intersect. We were grateful for the messages that kept us informed of the realities that her illnesses---first breast cancer and chemotherapy toxicity and then Alzheimer's--visited upon her. Fortunately, good choices were made that allowed her final months to be filled with comfort and dignity---qualities that so many are robbed of during illness.

I want to recognize and thank the many people--family and friends--who enriched her life and focused her enthusiasm. I will miss the spirited, quick witted and determined person who I remember.

October 12, 2016

Marilyn Green

Walt:
God has promised: Though grief may overshadow you, it will not consume you. Though sorry fills your soul, it will fade away.
Thinking of you during this difficult time.
There are no words that I can say.
Jackie was special! We loved her!!
I am grateful that God put all of you in our lives at the lake for all of those year! Those are special times that no one can take from us! We all had the best holidays and she could make every day seem like a holiday when we were with her. My favorite time for me was nighttime we would sit on the dock and watch the stars. We learned from Jackie when there was a shooing star that meant someone was going to heaven! I bet she had the brightest shinning star the moment she went to be with the Lord!
My heart is hurting with you my friend!

October 11, 2016

Deanne Ostrowski

I'm at a loss for words. She was such an awesome woman and I have missed her in my life for many years. I have so many fond memories of her from when we were young kids. Nothing was as fun as holidays at their house. I remember the year she went to get my mom a Christmas present and took me with her....my mother wore the cologne she bought her through her entire life. I'm sending all my love to my cousins Greg, Sean and Erin. And their families. My heart is so broken.

October 11, 2016

Evelyn Cope

Walter so very sorry to read Jackie passed away. I am not in town but will think about you and your family Friday. Evelyn

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Funeral services provided by:

Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home & Memorial Park

5725 Colleyville Blvd, Colleyville, TX 76034

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