Donald R. Brewer

Donald R. Brewer - Don Brewer passed away in Petaluma on October 1, 2009. Beloved husband for 58 years to Lois Brewer of Petaluma. Loving father of David Brewer of Kyle, TX, Roberta Lotter and her husband Ed of Rosamond, CA and Randall Brewer and his wife Michele of Bennington, NE. Cherished grandfather of Donald Lotter of CA, Joseph, Isaiah, and Isabella Brewer of NE. Dear brother of the late James Brewer and Eleanor Schempf. Don was a member of the Instrument Society of America and a member and past president of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society. In retirement he enjoyed working on the restoration of the Railroad Society's caboose. A private "Celebration of Life""" will be held at a later date."" Don was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on August 13, 1925, to Paul and Amanda brewer. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin as an electrical engineer in 1947 and immediately started to work at General Electric in Schenectady, NY as a test engineer and instructor in diesel electric locomotives. This started a lifelong interest in, and love of, trains both diesel and steam. After 11 years at GE, Don moved on to other electrical engineering fields especially that of electric controls for plant automation. This work in dairy and food plants, industrial machinery plants, waste water management and geothermal facilities sent him to every state in the union including Alaska and Hawaii and France, Japan and Iceland.