Kathleen Patrick Bremner

1920 - 2014

Bremner, Kathleen Patrick SAN DIEGO -- The family of Kathleen Patrick Bremner is sad to announce her passing on February 12, 2014 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Kathleen Calvera Patrick was born June 21, 1920 in St. Joseph's (Mercy) Hospital in San Diego. She was the only daughter of Calvin and Grace Patrick. Kathleen was a beloved wife, daughter and grand- mother who devoted her life to Christian work and was active in the Christian community for over 40 years. Kathleen grew up in Fontana, CA, studied the piano, graduated from Chaffey HS, Class of 1938 and attended Chaffey Jr. College where she studied journalism and the arts. She was runner-up in the Miss California pageant 1938. During WWII, she married, worked in an aircraft factory while her husband was overseas and gave birth to her daughter, Susan in 1943. Kathleen was a pianist, and performed regularly in the cabaret at the Club Oaks in Running Springs, CA post WWII. She moved to Palm Springs in 1950 and became an active member of the Palm Springs Community Church, teaching Jr. High Sunday School for ten years and writing, directing and producing numerous Church musical play productions. Before moving back to San Diego from Palm Springs in the 50's and 60's, Kathleen was an entrepreneur, creating several businesses in the modeling and dance field and producing an "exercise record" pre Jane Fonda. She owned and operated a John Robert Powers School of modeling and a ballet school, bringing the LA Ballet to perform in Palm Springs for the first time. Kathleen created and produced the first "Christian" float in the annual Palm Springs Parade which won the Grand prize 1957. She was also an active Girl Scout leader, Red Cross volunteer and Precinct Captain for the Republican Party. After moving back to San Diego in 1962, Kathleen continued her dedication to Christian work becoming a member of the Billy Graham Crusade Women's Committee, Chairman of the Louis Palau Crusade, and Chairman of the Women's Committee of Here's Life San Diego. In 1969, she married the love of her life, Paul Bremner and they settled into their new home in University City. Kathleen became very active in her church, teaching Sunday school for several years at La Jolla Presbyterian and she also became an outspoken activist against Child Pornography, organizing a Christian Coalition "Citizens against Child Pornography" resulting in a public demonstration of over 5000 people who called for legislation making child pornography a criminal offense in California. In 1971, Kathleen founded and organized the Youth for Christ Women's Auxiliary and was successful in beginning five Chapters for YFC throughout the county. Before women were permitted membership in Rotary, she also founded a women's auxiliary group called the La Jolla Rotaryannes Club. In 1998, she received the Award of Excellence for Achievement in the Religious Field and was a frequent writer and columnist for the Christian Newspaper. Kathleen served one year as a member of the board for the Commission on the Status of Women for San Diego County and was the first woman to be on the board of the San Diego Rescue Mission. She produced the first annual Successful Women's Seminar at Civic Center. In 1985, she became Director of San Diego Spatula Ministries, a Christian, a non-profit support group committed to providing support and understanding for the healing of relationships between LGBT children and their families by promoting unconditional love, spiritual and emotional support. In 1986, she founded the San Diego Christian Conference on Trauma and Sexuality with the help and support of the San Diego Evangelical Association. In 1977, Kathleen received the Christian Woman of the Year award. In 1997, Kathleen suffered a severe stroke, and while she experienced an almost full recovery she decided to spend more time with her family and beautiful garden. In 1998, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and for the past three years has been receiving full time care in her lovely home. Kathleen was quite a gal, full of the Irish, intelligent, talented, animal lover, dynamic leader, devoted mom, grandmother and wife who was the definition of matriarch, but her greatest love was Jesus. Kathleen is survived by her husband of 44 years, Paul Bremner; her daughter, Susan Jester, grandson, David Jester and his husband Guy Foti of Oceanside; and cousins, Carlyn Kelley of San Diego, Maureen Kelley and Brad Wright of Ramona, and Arthur Kelley of San Diego. Memorial Services will be February 20, 2014 at 12 noon at El Camino Memorial Park, Sorrento Valley. The family has requested donations be sent to the San Diego Humane Society.