James Patrick Brymer

March 17, 1950 - April 12, 2020 The well-known puppeteer Pat Brymer passed away in Los Angeles, with his husband by his side, after a long illness. Pat was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1950 in Highland Park, Illinois. Pat performed on stage, in film, and on TV. He got his start at Sid and Marty Kroffts' puppet theater at Six Flags Over Mid-America in St. Louis. He worked with the Kroffts throughout the 1970s. Later he worked at Hanna-Barbera as a puppeteer and builder of puppets and walk-around characters.A master craftsman, Pat built the "new and improved" woolly Lamb Chop hand puppet for Shari Lewis, the renowned ventriloquist. Lewis had created the original sock puppet character in the 1950s. Pat assisted Lewis as master puppeteer in her stage shows, videos and her award-winning PBS television shows "Lamb Chop's Play-Along" and "The Charlie Horse Music Pizza." Earlier Pat had gained attention for his puppeteering work in "Caddyshack," animating the irrepressible golf course gopher. Pat's other credits include "Really Raquel [Welch]," "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters," "The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour," "Team America: World Police," "The Nanny," "So I Married and Axe Murderer," and "My Stepmother Is an Alien. Pat was in much demand for his puppeteering skills and for his creative talents. He opened his own company Pat Brymer Creations to design puppets and walk-around characters for commercials, television shows, and promotions. Pat was also committed to sharing his knowledge with other puppeteers. He taught puppet-building workshops through the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry and served on the board of the organization for many years. Pat is survived by his husband of 47 years, James T. McDermott; his sister Nancy Morgan, of Jacksonville, Fla.; numerous nieces and nephews; and a family of heartbroken friends. We will deeply miss his creativity, his generosity, and his wicked sense of humor. A celebration of Pat's life will be announced at a later date. RIP, Mr. B.