Fletcher 'Buster' Brush touched many people's lives
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By Cristina Kumka Herald Staff - Published: November 15, 2008
MIDDLEBURY — There are some people you meet in life that you're privileged to have known. According to some of his closest and even distant friends, Fletcher "Buster" Brush of Salisbury was one of those people.
Whether it was a touching appearance he made at a function for the National Bank of Middlebury as a board member, a study group he held at the Middlebury Community House to bond with the boys' hockey team or a night out on the ice with the boys, "Buster" made a lasting impression in his community of friends, family and fellow athletes.
Brush died Nov. 7 with his wife of 37 years, Jeanette, by his side almost three weeks after collapsing following a hockey game.
A memorial service will be held at Mead Chapel at Middlebury College at 1 p.m. today, with a brief reception following at the American Legion in Middlebury.
"He pushed himself very hard," said Ken Perine, 57, longtime friend, fellow Cub Scout and president of the bank where Brush was a member of the board of directors.
"He worked on his computer a lot, doing the genealogy work and cemetery work he used to do and answering e-mails," Perine said. "He was driven that way. He said he needed to maintain contact with people."
A beloved and honored community volunteer and local community outreach professional, Brush, 59, maintained posts at the Middlebury Rotary Club, National Bank of Middlebury, Youth Safety Council of Vermont, Middlebury Community House, the Salisbury Historical Society, Salisbury Village Cemetery Restoration Project and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
He was the past president of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Middlebury Junior Golf Association, co-founder of the Middlebury Union High School Alumni Association and avid supporter of the Middlebury Amateur Hockey Association.
Professionally, Brush was a 28-year employee of Middlebury's Co-operative Insurance Companies, from claims adjuster to vice president of education and community relations, recruiting others into the business community.
For both the personal and professional communities Buster longed to make better, an absence will be felt for many years to come, friends and family members said.
The dedicated and tireless activist suffered from a heart attack after doing the thing he loved most — playing hockey in the rink he built from the ground up, aptly named the Howard E. Brush Arena in 1995 after his father, a longtime member of the town Select Board.
"If Buster hadn't been on the watch or wasn't involved, that money wouldn't have been raised," Perine said of the arena, more than a decade in the making.
"He pushed other people to do their jobs or he did it himself."
Skating on the ice Oct. 19 in the rink he once sold hundreds of raffle tickets to raise money for years, Brush didn't feel well, according to his brother, Howard "Skip" Brush.
Minutes later when the co-ed game came to an end, Brush fell to the floor as he tried changing out of his equipment in the locker room.
Fellow teammates rushed to his side and performed CPR.
Brush was taken to Porter Hospital then to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington via helicopter.
Up until his death, Brush was in intensive care with family members by his side.
He didn't have any prior heart conditions, although heart problems did run in the family, his brother said.
The ice he skated on for the last time is what will ultimately ensure his legacy survives, Howard Brush said.
"His greatest love was helping my son coach the high school hockey," he said. "He will never be forgotten as a mentor to those young kids. They sure looked up to him I know that."
But hockey kids weren't the only people who admired Buster for his life of service.
Up until the night before he died, Buster was thanking people for what they did for him, just as friends.
"He responded (to my e-mail) at 11 p.m. the night before his heart attack and I got that on Monday knowing he was in very bad shape," Perine said.
According to cousin John Dayton of Montpelier, the contributions Buster made weren't only for kids but for the community as a whole, including adults and relatives his own age.
"It was a dream to have our own rink," he said.
Although no one knows who will or who can take Buster's place and what he did for the community, Perine said it will take a valiant effort by many men, not just one.
"We've talked about that and we've said, 'Well, now the responsibly is on us' to pick up his slack. But it won't be one person, it will be 20," Perine said.
"We all have to pick up a piece of it and carry on his work."
For more information on Buster, or to leave a tribute, log on to www.caringbridge.org , and type in "busterbrush."
Contact Cristina Kumka at cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com.
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