Helen Brubaker

Helen May Rarie Brubaker, 91, of Centerville, Ohio, died Tuesday December 13 at Hospice of Dayton. Friends may call at the Routsong Kettering Chapel from 11:30 – 1:30 pm on Saturday December 17th, with a memorial service to follow at 1:30pm. Internment of her cremains will be at the family’s convenience in Pennsylvania.Helen was born January, 17, 1914, on the family farm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to William and Ella (Brisbin) Rarie. She attended elementary school in Punxsutawney, PA, and graduated from Lewistown, PA, High School in 1931. Helen was active in drama, winning national oratorical awards. She graduated from Indiana State Teachers College in Indiana, PA, in 1935, with a BA in Education. Helen was active in the American College Quill Club, PI KAPPA SIGMA and KAPPA DELTA PI Honor Society and a class officer all 4 years. She was a Sunday School camp counselor in the summers, and taught high school English full time in Homer City and Lewistown, PA, until her marriage. She married Daniel D. Brubaker on November 28, 1940, in Lewistown, PA. They lived in Port Royal, PA, where Mr. Brubaker taught high school math and science, and Helen was a substitute teacher in Mt. Lebanon, PA. In September, 1942, they moved to Dayton where Mr. Brubaker was employed at Bell Aircraft, WPAFB. In 1951 they moved to Van Buren Twp. where Mr. Brubaker operated a printing and data processing business. He was instrumental in bringing Van Buren Twp to city status as the City of Kettering in 1955 and served two terms as Kettering’s first mayor. They moved to Centerville in 1971 and established Country Village Apartments on West Franklin Street. Mr. Brubaker died March 31, 1976.After her marriage, Helen was a full time homemaker and mother of five. Her other interests included Bridge, crossword puzzles, reading, traveling, and planning activities for the International residents of Country Village. She was a valued friend and advisor to many. She had been a volunteer at Kettering Memorial Hospital and had been a member of Fairmont Presbyterian Church. She was primary in establishing the Women’s Recovery Center in Xenia, serving on the board of directors. Helen was preceded in death by her husband Dan and infant twin granddaughters in 1976; and her brother George, in 1953.Survivors include daughters, Jean Ford of Oconto, Nebraska, Judy Rodgers of Centerville, Ohio, and Mary Borra of Sewickley, Pennsylvania; sons, Daniel of Bellbrook, Ohio, and William of Phoenix, Arizona; niece, Genevra Vandervort of Reedsport, Oregon; cousin, JoAnn Cox of Orlando, Florida; brother-in-law, A. R. Brubaker, St. Petersburg, Florida. Other survivors include sons-in-law, John Ford and Mark Rodgers; daughter-in-law, Lydette Brubaker; granddaughters Suzanne Ford, Amanda Rodgers, Kelly Brubaker, Rebecca Borra and Emily Borra; grandsons, Edward Ford, Morgan Ford, John Rodgers, William Strathearn, William Brubaker, Jeffrey Rodgers and John Borra; great-grandchildren, Emma Ford and Bennett Ford.

Funeral Home:
Kettering Routsong Funeral Home
2100 E. Stroop Rd.
Kettering, OH
US 45429