Charles Leonard Brazie
1920 – 2012
Charles Leonard Brazie, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.), a resident of Liberty Shores in Poulsbo, Washington, passed away on June 27, 2012, at the age of 91. Born November 26, 1920, in Rushville, Nebraska, Charles was the youngest of two children born to Fred Peter Brazie and Martha Eleanor (Hagel) Brazie.
He joined the US Army shortly after graduating from Elgin High School in 1939, and finished first in his class from the select Aviation Cadet program. He married his high school sweetheart, Arlene Elizabeth Krause on May 24, 1942 in Odessa, Texas. As one of the elite “Flying Seargeants” of the Army Air Corps, he served in the Pacific Theater during WWII, supporting the “Island Hopping” campaign. Despite injurings suffered in a plane crash on Iwo Jima, Charles maintained his status as an active Command Pilot throughout his career.
Charles was a veteran of the Korean Conflict and served tours in the Philippines, Detroit, Chicago, at the Pentagon, with the Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs, and with the Military Transportation Service in St. Louis. He also was a member of the International Joint-Service, Southeast European Task Force (SETAF) of NATO in Verona, Italy.
Following his military retirement in the fall of 1968, Charles became Assistant to the Vice President of the National Defense Transportation Association and Director of its Foundations in Washington, DC. Returning to Nebraska in 1971, Charles worked for the State housing program in Kearney, as Chairman of Governor Exon’s Housing Advisory Council in Lincoln, Executive Vice President, Home Builders Association of Lincoln; member, Executive Officer’ Council, the National Association of Home Builders; Nebraska State Housing Representative; Director of the Housing Field Agency, Office of Economic Development; and President, Nebraska Housing and Economic Development Organization. He retired in 1988.
Charles was a life member of the Air Force Association, the Flying Sergeants Assocation, the Disabled Amercian Veterans, the Amercian Legion, and the Knights of Columbus.
Charles will be dearly missed by his children: Charles Lee of Washington DC; Nancy and Douglas Kuhnel of Las Vegas, NV; Tommy and Sherry of Huntsville, AL; Michael of Alexandria, VA; Elizabeth and Jim Lundy of Corvallis, OR; and Mary and Mark Wiese of Silverdale, WA; as well as his beloved grandchildren: Elizabeth Murillo, Charles and Andrea Portes, Nanci Kettler and Robert Kuhnel; Jennifer Bailey, Marc, Jonathan, Christina, Kimberly, and Tommy Brazie, Andrea Welch and Brandon Davis; Jessica and Nicole Brazie; Nathan and Amanda Lundy; Aaron Wiese and Laura Sharp; his loving great grandchildren, brothers- and sisters-in- law, and countless friends and family he cherished deeply. Charles was preceded in death by his wife Arlene, his parents, his infant daughter Barbara Leigh, and his sister Florence Brazie Parker.
Charles loved his family and the wonderful country he served so well. He enjoyed traveling, hunting, fishing, cards and golf and was a gifted, very humorous public speaker. He loved to laugh and deighted in making others laugh He was especially proud of the international life he built for his children.
Services and interment will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.
