William Brin

William (Bill) James Brin, 87, went on to new horizons Thursday, November 10, 2011 at his home in Hollister, California. He was born in Demar, Kansas on February 17, 1924 to Hubert and Nora (Bedard) Brin. He grew up in Dodge City and Plainville, Kansas. He served during WWII with the First Army, First Division, 16th Infantry Regiment. After the war, he attended Fort Hays Kansas State College in Hays, Kansas graduating with a B.S. degree in Agriculture and a teaching certificate. He married Harriet Keplinger on August 16, 1949 in Kansas. They farmed in Kansas until 1953, when he started working for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). He worked in the soil and concrete lab on several dams in the Midwest and West, retiring in Hollister in 1980. Bill was an avid hunter and hiker, and was active in many sports. He won numerous awards. He became a pilot in 1960 and was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Hollister Airmen’s Association, and Historic Trail Flyers. He served on the Hollister Airport Commission. He was a member of Friends of the San Benito County Free Library. He was active in the Roman Catholic Church and served as lector in the Sacred Heart/St. Benedict Catholic Community. Bill is survived by his wife, Harriet, of Hollister; daughters, Ann Eden (Ogden, Utah); Lois Diemert and Bill Shaffer (Seattle, Washington); Beth Brin and Larry Lechner (Boise, Idaho); grandchildren Reg Eden and wife, Laurie (Las Vegas, Nevada); Lyndi Eden (Ogden, Utah); Dustin Diemert, wife Jisun and son, Andrew (Baltimore, Maryland); Josh Diemert and Christina Cunningham and children, Serenity Diemert, Jonathan Tharp, and Freedom Wells (Renton, Washington); sister Louise Bolt (Enid, Oklahoma); brother, Terry Kaba, (Draper, Utah); sister-in-law Elaine Brin (Plainville, Kansas); and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Hubert Brin; mother, Nora Bedard Brin Kaba; stepfather, Phil Kaba; sister, Kathleen Rohr; and subsequently, brother Don Brin. A funeral mass was held at Sacred Heart Church in Hollister, CA on November 19, 2011. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Plainville, Kansas with Father Joshua Werth officiating. In Lieu of Flowers, memorials are suggested to an Aviation Organization, USATT, Friends of the Library, or Donor’s Choice and may be sent in care of Moore-Overlease Funeral Chapel, 409 S. Cochran, Plainville, KS 67663. Condolences may be left for the family at www.mooreoverlease.com.