Bertram George Brehm Jr.

Bert was my favorite teacher at Reed...and anywhere else. I took every class he taught (if only there had been more!) and did my senior thesis with him in 1992-3, a project that emerged from a summer (1992) spent in the little cabin in old-growth forest along the Sandy River. Reproductive biology and conservation genetics of a rare plant found on that preserve (Cimicifuga elata - tall bugbane). This set the stage for the next step of my life, studying the same issues with rare plants in...

Bert Brehm had a profound & positive influence on so many of us at Reed College over the years! Who could forget his lilting voice, his unforgettable lecture on why fig fruit is crunchy (pollinating insects inside!), the warmth of his home with Dorothy to students hungry for hand-caught salmon and his kindness as we stressed over the senior thesis. Here is a photo of him at the Sandy River Gorge where he played a pivotal role in conserving some of the most magnificent pieces of ancient forest...

Bert was a great man - thoughtful, gentle, intelligent, and with a great sense of humor. It has been an honor to know him and Dorothy, and to be friends with nearly all of his kids. He will be missed by many. Cody Benkelman

Sorry for your lost of Bert (and Dorothy). They were both always such a refreshing friendship to visit over the years. May the wonders of your parent's love continue to enlighten your family's life.

I was a student of Bert's at Reed and his encouragement of my passion for biology & natural history was inspiring. Most important, thanks to him I ( a native of NYC) spent most of the summer of 1985 living by myself in a small cabin by the Sandy River and exploring the Sandy River Gorge. I learned so much and those months were incredibly rich and magical for me--deeply impactful. Bert's positive impact on the lives of others was wide and deep and extended across an astonishing number of...

I knew him as Chris's dad, an empathetic guy who knew us better than we knew ourselves. He knew what we are up to, and loved us for it. He left us a priceless legacy in his wonderful children. (They all have his sense of humor.) I'm glad to have known this warm man.

Bert was my advisor and one of my favorite professors. His kindness and teaching are still with me when I walk in the forest, recognizing as old friends plants I first learned to identify on Bert's field trips. As we students piled into the bus, red-cheeked and exhausted from our (usually cold and rainy) forest adventures, Bert would hand out crisp sweet apples and big delicious cookies Dorothy had baked for us the night before, and regale us with tales of botany and adventure on the drive...