Colin Wally Brodie

Colin was born in Oakland, CA. Growing up he was surrounded by his loving extended family, spending just as much time at relatives’ homes as his own. Cookie was the nickname he was bestowed with. He attended San Francisco State College where he received a Masters in Business Transportation in 1963. He served in the Army from 1963 to 1965. Starting in college, he began learning the ropes of long- and short-haul trucking from his aunt and uncle in their family business. This start was the beginning of a lifelong passion for the shipping industry, from local to international. In fact, he was still working until 2023.

In 1968, he married Barbara Ponti. Throughout his career, job opportunities took him and his family from California to New Jersey to Colorado and back to Northern New Jersey. He loved NJ, except for raking leaves. His directness, coupled with good humor, saw him rise quickly to become a top salesman in each company he worked for and with. When not pursuing the next great contract, Colin thoroughly enjoyed being with family and friends. He prided himself on his ‘Scottish’ ways, which served him well in business and life in general. Some of his best times were with the YMCA Indian Princesses - where the daughters were relatively well-behaved, and the fathers were “kicked out of every restaurant in the northeast” for their good-humored but disruptive behavior. The fathers provided endless fun as they sought ways to be ranked as the top go-to father. Those Indian Princesses years gave Dad a lifetime of stories to tell and cemented his father-daughter bond.

Colin married Ethel Van Der Wall (Lubach) in 1993 in New Jersey. Upon their semi-retirement in 2001, they agreed to find a home ‘on the water but with no snow’, which led them to Discovery Bay, CA. Here they both developed an amazing circle of friends. Thanks to Ethel’s gentle influence, he became active in the Delta Community Presbyterian Church. He joined the Discovery Bay Country Club where he could often be found ‘causing a ruckus’ on the causeway or entertaining the staff and friends in the Club House with his stories. When he was no longer able to wield a golf club, he still enjoyed his cigars and wine and stirring up trouble in the club house with his dear friends. His weekly get-togethers continued to the very end – he was happiest with a full calendar of being with good friends, scotch, and food. Colin was an outgoing member of SIRS (Sons in Retirement) and really enjoyed the diverse variety of guest speakers, and those infamous bacon breakfasts.

An avid athlete, Colin loved to play racquetball, baseball, softball, water skiing, golf and snorkeling. Living on the water in both New Jersey and California allowed him to indulge in water sports, speed boating and just enjoying family and friends on the party boat. Snorkeling and body surfing in Hawaii were an annual favorite.

Retirement brought the opportunity for Colin and Ethel to indulge in their passion for travel. Their trips to Hawaii and Alaska were favorite places to go to on a regular basis. They made visits to many far-flung places, often with family or friends, including an African safari, India, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, all across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, and Greenland to name just a few. They loved to be in Paris for anniversary celebrations. While traveling they collaborated on and sent daily “Find Ethel and Colin” emails enabling us to be arm-chair travelers experiencing new places and adventures along with them. Those daily emails allowed his sense of humor to really shine through – we could always tell the parts that Ethel wrote vs Dad’s commentaries.

Colin is proceeded in death by his wife, Ethel. We pray they are together again, watching those beautiful sunsets they loved. Brother, Michael Brodie who is survived by his wife Carol.

Blessed with a loving family, he is survived by daughter Colleen Brodie of Medina, OH; son Kevin Brodie of Lockeford, CA; grandchildren Shane Brodie and Jared Brodie of Stockton, CA; great-grandchildren Jasmine Brodie and Nickolas Brodie of Stockton, CA; daughter Jocelyn Lubach of Peoria, AZ; sons James Mach of Alexandria, VA and Jonathan Lubach of North Ogden, UT; and grandchildren, Victoria Lubach and Joshua Lubach of Tallahassee, FL, and Ivy Mach of Alexandria, VA. Step-Brothers Brian ‘Buz’ Suska of Auburn, CA and Ron Meis of Reno, NV.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on February 10, at 11:00 am, at Delta Community Presbyterian Church, 1900 Willow Lake Rd, Discovery Bay, CA 94505. A luncheon reception will follow. Interment will be private at Chapel of the Chimes, Oakland.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that tax-deductible contributions be made to the non-profit corporation formed upon the death of his loving wife of 23 years: The Ethel M. Brodie Memorial Scholarship Fund, 7558 West Thunderbird Road, Suite 1-458, Peoria, AZ 85381. The mission of this non-profit is to provide educational support for students and schools.