Auto mechanic, missionary, Murray Brubacher’s life was one of service
Murray Brubacher of Gibsons, B.C. Born: June 12, 1951 in St. Jacobs Died: Dec. 12, 2017 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Murray Brubacher’s life was supported by four cornerstones: his faith, his family, gospel singing and really cool cars.
The St. Jacobs-born former entrepreneur and long time Baptist missionary in Columbia, South America, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in December but he left a legacy of devotion to duty that was so deeply rooted in his faith that even a bomb blast near his family’s apartment in the late 1980s couldn’t shake it.
“God had asked us to be there and our Columbian brothers and sisters didn’t have an option to leave,” said his wife, Beth Brubacher.
Murray and Beth were in Columbia with their children, Jonathan and Holly from 1986 to 1993, with one return to Kitchener during the height of the violence, when drug lord Pablo Escobar declared war on the government.
The couple, fearing the violence would increase returned to Kitchener in September 1989. In an interview with the Record at the time, Murray explained how the drug cartels viewed any North American as a possible enforcement agent. Even missionaries were not safe though this did not deter him.
“The drug lords aren’t a good picture of the basic Columbian,” he had said. “The common people are the friendliest and most beautiful people I’ve ever met.”
Murray’s early life could hardly have predicted that he would end up in such as a place as Columbia during a terrifying time in the country’s history.
Born into a progressive Mennonite family — his father had been raised Old Order — Murray and his two brothers were raised in St Jacobs. During his high school years, teachers realized the young man didn’t fit into the regular academic stream though he was always interested in the way things worked and was forever taking apart anything mechanical, much to the annoyance of his parents. Those tendencies were, in fact, a window into the mind of someone with an innate curiosity.
“He had a different way of learning,” said Beth. “He was told ‘you’ll never amount to anything.’” How wrong they were. Fed up with high school, Murray quit after Grade 10 and en-
tered a four-year auto mechanics apprenticeship program. After receiving his licence, he was determined to strike out on his own.
“When he was 25, he started his own business,” said Beth.
Murray’s Auto Service was opened in 1976 in Waterloo and while the business fed his love of cars, there was a niggling doubt that this was the right path.
Beth had met Murray when he was still apprenticing and he had shown up one Sunday at her Baptist church with his fellow Spokesman Trio singers. The other boys were church members and invited him along. Beth was only 15 and Murray a whole year older. She admits, the age difference was intriguing and he later told her, he liked her because she was so welcoming. They started dating and married in 1972.
After running his auto repair business for seven years, the couple decided to follow their hearts. Murray, who at one time might have thought a good life included owning a lot of stuff, chose a life of service.
Despite his negative experience in high school where he swore off ever going to school again, Murray and Beth applied at Briercrest Bible College in Saskatchewan. In less than one week they sold the business and their house and this was before receiving admission confirmation.
“We had two kids at the time,” she said. “We were homeless, jobless.”
The couple did receive an acceptance and though they planned to study for one year, choosing subjects that would best prepare them for the life of a missionary in Columbia, their plans were thwarted when the country stopped issuing visitors visas.
Beth and Murray stayed in school an extra year, graduating with a diploma before moving onto a Texas college where they studied Spanish for a year. Beth admits, Murray was the one with a gift for language and he had a great deal of fun playing with words.
Once they were ready the couple joined the Fellowship Baptist Churches Missions which posted them to a community in Columbia where Murray’s mechanical skills were appreciated. As Beth said, anything that needed fixing, Murray was called in though he also worked with the coffee planters and youth groups, particularly volunteers from Canada.
Daughter Holly Robinson said her dad’s warmth always made people feel comfortable.
“He had this ability to really open his home to people,” said Holly. “He was very sensitive to the needs of others.”
The idea behind the mission had been to establish a church and Christian community that would eventually be supported by Columbians not missionaries. Once this was achieved the Brubachers returned to Canada.
Beth said their next assignment was with a Baptist housing ministry, Shannon Oaks Seniors Residence in Vancouver where they “lived with and loved the seniors.”
The couple retired in 2015 and the following year, Murray was diagnosed with a form of ALS that first attacks the throat. They knew there was little that could be done and decided that rather than focusing on chasing after medical intervention, they would enjoy what time was left. Murray also had to prepare his wife for a life of independence.
“His first concern was ‘what do you want do?’’” she recalled. “He’d always wanted to take care of me.”
Murray spent his remaining days making sure their cottage where Beth decided she wanted to live was in good repair and he taught her everything from how to use the lawn mower to how to put gas in the car.
The illness also released his good humour in ways no one expected. Beth said her husband was always funny but now he became downright goofy, even during an ambulance ride.
“The ambulance attendants said they’d never had such fun driving someone home from the hospital,” she said.
In his eulogy, son Jonathan Brubacher wrote “In the two years of his diagnosis Dad became somewhat of a comedian. OK let’s be extremely clear here, he became a comedic genius. His sense of timing and delivery despite having no ability to speak the words himself were simply astounding.”
Holly said her father was so open about his decreasing mobility, showing the grandchildren every new piece of equipment, hopefully alleviating any fear.
“He was so generous about it,” said Holly. “He didn’t draw away from people in his illness, he appreciated having them around.”
And on that final day in hospital, Beth said it was a celebration.
“The room was packed,” she said. “It was a true party.”
Jonathan recalled “I am immensely proud of his character in the face of his terminal disease. His attitude and faithfulness a testament to the true character of the man.”