Ralph M. Brubacher

1925 - 2018  (92 years)

• Name	Ralph M. Brubacher
  Born	5 Jun 1925	Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Gender	Male
  Interesting	military, story
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-32833
  Died	12 May 2018
  Person ID	I32833	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Clare Jacob Brubacher,   b. 7 May 1891, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 8 Jan 1977, Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 85 years)
  Mother	Rose Martha Lena Campbell,   b. 1901, Peel Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 29 Oct 1988, Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 87 years)
  Married	24 Sep 1924	Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Family ID	F14388	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Freda A. Rushton,   b. 18 Apr 1929,   d. 27 Aug 2003, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F55833	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Lifetimes: War veteran, business leader and all around nice guy leaves a legacy of community involvement Ralph Brubacher of Elmira, born: June 5, 1925 in Elmira, died: May 12, 2018 of age related illness ELMIRA Val Brubacher cannot say enough about her father-in-law, Ralph Brubacher, about his big heart, his humour, his intelligence. "He was a great, kind, loving person," she said. "He was a very interesting man with a wealth of knowledge and he read a lot, he read everything." Son, Peter Brubacher, noted his father's book collection included everything from encyclopedias to books about the Second World War, a topic of particular interest to Ralph given his own experiences serving in the military as a teenager. Ralph was born on a farm just outside Elmira, one of two kids. His father Clare Brubacher founded CJ Brubacher Plumbing & Heating in 1923, a business that would eventually be taken over by Ralph, then in 1994 his sons Peter and Jim and more recently a grandson, Kyle Brubacher bought the business, the fourth generation. In 1928, Ralph's parents built a house in Elmira, where he grew up in the warmth of this small community. In 1942, at the age of 17, Ralph decided he wanted to join the war effort but the teen was too young and required special permission from his father, which was granted. Peter said their grandfather had served in the trenches during the First World War and didn't want his son to be conscripted to the army. The alternative was for Ralph to voluntarily sign up with the Royal Canadian Air Force where he would avoid the bloodshed of the battlegrounds. Ralph, a highly intelligent and capable young man, rose to the rank of pilot officer before he was 20 and was training young pilots, a treacherous job because there tended to be a lot of crashes. Ralph never served overseas but his skills were recognized by the Air Force and for nearly a decade after he was discharged in 1945, Ralph continued to return to the base every summer to train new pilots. After his discharge, Ralph had the option of purchasing land or going to school on a government veterans program. He chose an education, completing a mechanical engineering degree. Ralph worked for Uniroyal for a couple of years after graduating but then his dad asked him to join the company.,,,, Hill, V. (2018). Lifetimes: War veteran, business leader and all around nice guy leaves a legacy of community involvement. TheRecord.com. Retrieved 28 May 2018, from https://www.therecord.com/living-story/8633367-lifetimes-war-veteran-business-leader-and-all-around-nice-guy-leaves-a-legacy-of-community-involvement/

  
  

• Sources

  [S3108] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration, 020082-24. Clare J. Brubacher, 33, occ. Plumber, b. Woolwich Twp, res. Elmira, son of Martin E. Brubacher (B. Canada) and Louisa Peppler married Rose Campbell, 22, occ. Seamstress, b. Peel Twp, res. Elmira, daughter of Patrick Campbell (B. Canada) and Mary Anna Lingner, Witn: Emil Lingner and Mabel Brubacher both of Elmira, 24 September 1924 at St. Paul's Parsonage in Elmira

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 5 Jun 1925 - Elmira, Woolwich Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth