From what I can tell, Brian did not graduate Penncrest (only in soph & jr yearbooks), so I wouldn't have known him (I was only a senior). However, doing an internet search turns up Brian Colbert, a supervisor for Marin Co, Calif, who looks about the right age. This fellow was boprn in Bethel, CT, lived in NY for a time, went to Oberlin College & Univ of Chicago. You can check him out for yourself at https://www.marincounty.gov/departments/board/district-2/brian-colbert ... Maybe this is your friend.
Brad, that is definitely not our Brian Colbert. I became Facebook friends with Brian in the last few years before his death. He passed away in December of 2021.
Thank you for the quick reply. Yes, that is definately not Brian. I graduated with you and Brian in 1975 from Penncrest and knew Brian in school. We became closer friends at the University of Delaware where we were roommates and great friends. I kept in touch with him till the mid to late 90's and gradually lost contact till I saw that he had passed away on the Penncrest alumni website. I would like to know how he died and if possible, where he is buried so that I can visit and say a proper good-by.
I didn't get to know Brian Colbert in high school but got acquainted through Facebook also in the fall of '21, which was still COVID-dominated. He mentioned how many friends & family he'd lost to it but seemed to have avoided it so far. He mentioned hoping to retire in a few years and to attend our 50th reunion. He said he'd had a few "breakdowns" of his body in the past few years. He set up an American Heart Association fundraiser for his birthday mid-October & that was the last I heard from him until seeing an "RIP" message from someone in December. I was thinking about him again, too, then saw your message, Rick, and tried messaging the couple of Colberts on his FB page. A Lisa Colbert responded, who said she was Brian's cousin. She could only say that he'd been sick off & on, but nothing more specific. She gave me Brian's sister (also named Lisa)'s phone number. I reached sister Lisa today, who did not seem open to speaking to me (a stranger calling out of the blue). She said he did not have a gravesite ("He was cremated.") and declined to elaborate on what happened to him. In respect for their privacy, I thanked her for speaking with me and left it at that. So how he passed is still a mystery but a private one, and there is no gravesite to visit, sadly. Rest in peace, Brian.
Sorry, I'm a bit late to this post. I believe Brian died about 5 years ago. I would occasionally see him at John's Grill in Media and we would often play word games online. His passing was sudden as AFAIK. I believe I was at John's and asked about him to (Jerry Boyer?), and he confirmed that he had passed. He was a good guy.
Dear Rick, Wes, Mike and any other classmates who knew and were wondering about Brian Colbert, I got some very sad, very specific follow-up information from Brian's older brother, Louis. Their cousin Lisa had also given me Louis' number, where I'd left a message but had not heard back until he texted me about a week ago, saying he had heard about my inquiry from his cousin and was willing to speak with me about Brian if I wanted to call him. I repeated in a text that some of us had known him to varying degrees, cared about him and were just wondering what happened to him if he was willing to share. He told me that "Brian had diabetes, got a splinter in his left foot, which got infected, ending in the need to amputate his foot above the ankle. He then went to Broomall rehab. in Marple, where he died from COVID while in that facility." What an awful, tragic turn of events for Brian, who had also mentioned to me that fall (October 2021) that he was about to get a COVID booster... Louis said he was still willing to talk about Brian more, to call any time, but I haven't heard back after leaving another voicemail message. I promised to share things that classmates said about him, so I would like to share any of your positive comments with Louis by text, if you don't mind. This is all very delayed news and condolence-sharing with Brian's family, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Best wishes, Anne
Richard Mead
If anyone can tell me what happened to Brian, I would appreciate it.
Rick Mead
Brad Wilson
From what I can tell, Brian did not graduate Penncrest (only in soph & jr yearbooks), so I wouldn't have known him (I was only a senior). However, doing an internet search turns up Brian Colbert, a supervisor for Marin Co, Calif, who looks about the right age. This fellow was boprn in Bethel, CT, lived in NY for a time, went to Oberlin College & Univ of Chicago. You can check him out for yourself at https://www.marincounty.gov/departments/board/district-2/brian-colbert ... Maybe this is your friend.
Good luck, Brad
Wesley Michael
Brad, that is definitely not our Brian Colbert. I became Facebook friends with Brian in the last few years before his death. He passed away in December of 2021.
Richard Mead
Wes,
Thank you for the quick reply. Yes, that is definately not Brian. I graduated with you and Brian in 1975 from Penncrest and knew Brian in school. We became closer friends at the University of Delaware where we were roommates and great friends. I kept in touch with him till the mid to late 90's and gradually lost contact till I saw that he had passed away on the Penncrest alumni website. I would like to know how he died and if possible, where he is buried so that I can visit and say a proper good-by.
Rick Mead
Class of 75
Anne Richardson (Stevens)
Dear Rick, Wes and all,
I didn't get to know Brian Colbert in high school but got acquainted through Facebook also in the fall of '21, which was still COVID-dominated. He mentioned how many friends & family he'd lost to it but seemed to have avoided it so far. He mentioned hoping to retire in a few years and to attend our 50th reunion. He said he'd had a few "breakdowns" of his body in the past few years. He set up an American Heart Association fundraiser for his birthday mid-October & that was the last I heard from him until seeing an "RIP" message from someone in December. I was thinking about him again, too, then saw your message, Rick, and tried messaging the couple of Colberts on his FB page. A Lisa Colbert responded, who said she was Brian's cousin. She could only say that he'd been sick off & on, but nothing more specific. She gave me Brian's sister (also named Lisa)'s phone number. I reached sister Lisa today, who did not seem open to speaking to me (a stranger calling out of the blue). She said he did not have a gravesite ("He was cremated.") and declined to elaborate on what happened to him. In respect for their privacy, I thanked her for speaking with me and left it at that. So how he passed is still a mystery but a private one, and there is no gravesite to visit, sadly. Rest in peace, Brian.
Michael Duffey
Sorry, I'm a bit late to this post. I believe Brian died about 5 years ago. I would occasionally see him at John's Grill in Media and we would often play word games online. His passing was sudden as AFAIK. I believe I was at John's and asked about him to (Jerry Boyer?), and he confirmed that he had passed. He was a good guy.
Anne Richardson (Stevens)
Dear Rick, Wes, Mike and any other classmates who knew and were wondering about Brian Colbert, I got some very sad, very specific follow-up information from Brian's older brother, Louis. Their cousin Lisa had also given me Louis' number, where I'd left a message but had not heard back until he texted me about a week ago, saying he had heard about my inquiry from his cousin and was willing to speak with me about Brian if I wanted to call him. I repeated in a text that some of us had known him to varying degrees, cared about him and were just wondering what happened to him if he was willing to share. He told me that "Brian had diabetes, got a splinter in his left foot, which got infected, ending in the need to amputate his foot above the ankle. He then went to Broomall rehab. in Marple, where he died from COVID while in that facility." What an awful, tragic turn of events for Brian, who had also mentioned to me that fall (October 2021) that he was about to get a COVID booster... Louis said he was still willing to talk about Brian more, to call any time, but I haven't heard back after leaving another voicemail message. I promised to share things that classmates said about him, so I would like to share any of your positive comments with Louis by text, if you don't mind. This is all very delayed news and condolence-sharing with Brian's family, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Best wishes, Anne