Harriet Brennan Branick, M.D.

Dr. Harriet Branick died quietly the night of Sept. 12 after a very long illness. Her immediate family was at her side during her final days, which were peaceful.

Dr. Harriet was born Aug. 10, 1937 in Columbus, Ohio, where her father worked planting “shelter belts” with the Civilian Conservation Corps. She grew up in the Sacramento Valley, attending El Camino High School in Sacramento, and University of California, Davis (B.A. 1959). She then attended the University of California Medical School, San Francisco (M.D. 1962), where she met her husband of 55 years, Dr. Bob Branick. After her internship (St. Mary’s Medical Center, San Francisco), and a residency in Anesthesiology (Highland Medical Center, Alameda County), she began her 30 year medical practice, most of which was at the Petaluma Valley Medical Center, where her surgery peers honored her by electing her Chair of the Surgery Dept.

She was a member of the Sonoma County Medical Assn., the American Medical Assn., the American Society of Anesthesiology, and the American College of Anesthesiology.

She was an artist, seamstress, and decorator, and nowhere was this more obvious than in her success in restoring the family’s old Irish Georgian home on the shore of Galway Bay, Kinvara, Co. Galway. Scrubbing, painting, and polishing, followed by visiting, touring, and exploring, her Irish vacation motto was “Work a day - Play a day.”

During all of this, she managed to raise four children, all of whom were at her side at the end - Robert (wife Carolyn Kearney), Joanna (husband Tim Collins), Margaret (husband Jim Abilla), and Mary (husband John Ujda). Collectively, they honored her with eight grandchildren, all of whom will participate in the celebration of her life to be held at St. Hilary Catholic Church, Tiburon, on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 11:00 A.M. All are welcome. There will be a vigil and rosary the evening prior, also at St. Hilary, at 7:00 P.M.

The staff at Windchime of Marin cared for her lovingly for the last 10 years of her life, and the staff of Continuum Care Hospice were invaluable during her last months.

The family is very grateful for the years of prayers, encouragement, and support.