Elaine Brenner

1941 - 2023

Elaine Brenner

Duck Key, FL - Elaine Florence (Ruhwedel) Brenner, 81, of Duck Key, FL, passed away of natural causes on Tuesday, June 20,2023.

She was born on December 4, 1941, in Queens, NY to the late Conrad and Florence (Chichester)Ruhwedel.

After marrying her husband Wayne Brenner, they were located in Texas and Delaware while Wayne was serving as a Captain in the US Air Force. He had retired from the service and landed home in Long Island, NY. They then moved to Fla to expand the family insurance business.

Elaine and Wayne and their two daughters, moved to Cooper City, Florida from NY to open the southern based insurance company, called the same name, Brenner Agency, in Hollywood, FL to service their insurance customers that had homes in Florida and NY.

They built Seminole plaza where the insurance business was located. It's location was right across the street from the Seminole Farmer's Market, currently the Hard Rock Casino. The Seminole Plaza is still in existence today.

When the family decided that Ft. Lauderdale was too busy for them any longer, they decided it was time to move South.

The Florida Keys offered the quiet respite and less busy atmosphere they craved and they moved to Duck Key in 1976. Elaine and Wayne had their Real Estate license and worked for Sun and Surf Realty, who had 10 offices Keyswide, reaching from Key Largo to Key West.

Elaine and her husband took over the floor time of the Duck Key Office, and eventually opened their own Real Estate office called Brenner Realty, in Duck Key, Fl. in 1977.

Brenner Realty eventually was re-named Duck Key Realty, when her daughter Kristen Brenner, took over the business in 1989-Present. The Brenner's spent many summers on the boat, lobstering and fishing, and attending Marathon High School Volleyball and Softball games all over the State routing for their girls and their teams to the Regional and State Championships in those sports in 1983 and 1984.

As a survivor of Breast Cancer, Elaine was an active participant in the Relay For Life events in Marathon, with many many miles walked in the 1990's and many dollars raised for the cause.

In her retirement, Elaine enjoyed spending the summers at their home on the remote rocky coast of Harborside Maine, on the Penobscot Bay at Cape Rosier and enjoyed cooking, gardening, stamp collecting, and playing the organ.

Elaine attended Martin Luther Chapel in Marathon, Fl. She was a mother, grandmother, and Great Grandmother, and a friend to many, and so loved by her family. She will be greatly missed.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband of 60 years, Wayne Edward Brenner; sister, Cora Pretsch; brother, Richard Ruhwedel.

She is survived by her daughters, Kristen E. Brenner-Currier (Chuck) of Duck Key, FL; Sherry Wentzel (Mick), of Mooresville, NC: Grandchildren: Elliott Kreizman of Key Colony Beach, FL, Kevin Wentzel (Lindsay) and greatgrandson, Landon Wentzel.of Clemmons, NC , Grant Wentzel (Kelly) Murfreesboro, TN. Services will be held at a later date. In Lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the American Cancer Society.