Joel Byron Brahce M.D.

1958 - 2016

Joel Byron Brahce, M.D.
4/12/1958 - 11/28/2016


Joel Byron Brahce, M.D., passed away on November 28, 2016 at the age of 58 due to brain cancer. Joel was a well-loved and respected Family Practice physician with the UC Davis Medical Group in Auburn, California from 1998 until 2014. Before joining UC Davis, he was a Family Practice physician with the Woodland Clinic in Woodland, California from 1990 until 1998.
Joel was born to Carl and Eileen Brahce in Saginaw, Michigan on April 12, 1958. He was the fourth of five sons born to Carl and Eileen. Joel spent his childhood in Michigan and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was a member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity and the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society at Western Michigan University. Joel met his wife, Laura (Gallagher), at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan while he was attending medical school and she was doing research in the Pharmacology Department at Wayne State. Joel and Laura were married on November 3, 1984. Joel completed medical school in 1986, followed by a residency in Family Practice through Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Detroit Medical Center from 1986 to 1989. Joel and Laura had their first two children, Evan (1987) and Alena (1990), while living in Michigan. The family moved to Woodland, California in December of 1990. Their third child, Isaac, was born in Woodland in 1995.
Joel had many passions, including spending time with his family, playing the tuba, singing, gardening, biking, drinking good beer, and playing cribbage. He was known as "the bowtie doctor" because of his fondness for wearing bowties to work. He was also fond of wearing Hawaiian shirts, crazy socks, and hats of all sorts. He enjoyed watching and cheering for his favorite sports teams, the Oakland A's, the Oakland Raiders, the Detroit Tigers, and the Western Michigan football team. A summer wasn't complete without at least one trip to watch the Oakland A's with his good friend, Dave Grose.
Joel is survived by his wife of 32 years, Laura Brahce, and by his children, Evan, Alena, and Isaac Brahce. He is also survived by his mother, Eileen, and brothers, Mark (Janice), Carl (Dianne), and Paul Brahce and by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Joel is predeceased by his brother, Aaron, and his father, Carl.
Joel will be dearly missed by his family, friends, co-workers, and patients. The family would like to thank Dr. Michael Boyd of the Auburn UC Davis Medical Group and also Dr. Mark Knoble, nurse Tanya, and the rest of the Sutter Auburn Faith Hospice team for their care of Joel toward the end of his life. A Celebration of Life is planned for a later date.