In Memoriam: David Arthur Brabant

David Arthur Brabant of Canyon Lake, passed away suddenly on Nov. 20, 2021, at Loma Linda University Medical Center – Murrieta, suffering from a cardiac arrest after bravely fighting COVID-19 pneumonia for three weeks. He was fully vaccinated.

David Arthur Brabant. April 14, 1944 – November 20, 2021

David was born April 14, 1944, to Ralph Joseph and Marcella McGuire Brabant in Menominee, Michigan. He and his family were members of St. John’s Catholic Church where he was an altar server. He attended Catholic Central High School in Marinette, Wisconsin and after graduation, he joined the Navy. He served from 1962 through 1966 as a cryptographer at the Polaris Missile Base in Charleston, South Carolina. His service in the Navy was during the time of such events as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the loss of the USS Thresher atomic submarine, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

David completed his enlistment in the Navy at San Diego Naval Station. He stayed in San Diego and combined his income from delivering furniture at night with his GI Bill so he could attend the University of San Diego Men’s College. After completing his undergraduate degree in psychology with honors, he achieved a Juris Doctor degree from Western School of Law. He practiced law in San Diego until 1991.

Anyone who knew David knows how much he enjoyed life. He had many friends from all walks of his life, and he maintained almost all of these friendships throughout his life. He still had current friends he made from various times of his life including from grade school, high school, Navy, college, Chi Delta Theta fraternity and law school. David enjoyed being a part of the lives of people he knew and loved.

He was a storyteller and had a few to tell. He was a jokester who often laughed before he finished telling a joke because he anticipated the punch line. Although he had debilitating and crippling rheumatoid arthritis and lived with pain every day, most people he encountered were unaware. He rarely complained. He would always “accentuate the positive,” and reminded others that was the name of the song of the year when he was born.

In addition to all the people he knew and loved, David cared for all animals and always took loving care of his pets. Harley, Gracie, and Adso feel his loss. He was a member of the Canyon Lake K9 Club and when he was able, frequented the Canyon Lake Dog Park, where he also had many friends.

David was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister Diane Brabant of Menominee, Michigan. He is survived by his wife Karen of Canyon Lake, his sisters Marylou (Steve) Tippett of Marinette, Wisconsin, Elizabeth (Tom) Beyersdorf of Lake Havasu, Arizona, and Kathleen (Wayne) Dodaro of Pahrump, Nevada, and his brother Daniel Patrick Brabant of Iron River, Michigan.

David was a stepfather to Matthew Felknor and Amy Felknor, and a loving grandfather to Kaveh, Cyrus, Curtis, Sierra, and Catalina. He will be missed by his many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews, all of whom he loved as though they were his own children.

A funeral mass will be held at the Mission San Diego de Alcala Chapel on Feb. 17 at 3:00 p.m. He will then be buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego with full military honors on Feb. 18, at 10:30 a.m. After the burial at Fort Rosecrans, there will be a Celebration of Life at the Hilton Monsaraz on Point Loma from noon to 3:00 p.m. Anyone who wishes to attend any or all of the ceremonies and events are welcome. David’s home and heart were always open as these events will be.