Donald Rings Brewer

Donald Rings Brewer was born Tarentum, Pa., on 13 September, 1938, to Clifford and Alice Brewer. He had a stroke on 13 March 2013 and died at St. Vincents Hospital on 23 March 2013. He graduated from high school in Decatur, Indiana, attended Wittenberg University Lambda Chi Alpha and Hamma Divinity School in Springfield, Ohio, where he received a BA 1960 and a Masters of Divinity 1963. He also received a Masters of Sacred Theology from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He was ordained into the ministry of the Lutheran Church in America on 13 June, 1963. Donald served three parishes in Western Pennsylvania Synod Hope Memorial Lutheran in Smithton, Hope Lutheran in Hyde Park, and St Johns Lutheran in Girard before coming to Ohio where he also served three parishes: St Johns Ingomar and Shiloh, Mighty Fortress in Kettering, and Augsburg in Toledo. Since his retirement in 2003, he supplied in the pulpit and served as interim in several parishes in the Northwest Ohio Synod, and worked for Walker Funeral Home on an ad hoc basis. In his younger days, he was active in circus ministry and provided the theological basis for a youth circus ministry called Circus Kirk. In the wider church he also acted in various positions: as dean, on the evangelism committee for Ohio Synod, on the Ecumenical Board between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American and the Roman Catholic Church, Toledo Diocese, and on the board of the Ohio Council of Churches, as well as acting as First Responder for the North West Ohio Synod. Over the years his hobbies varied: magic International Brotherhoood of Magicians, circus performing, circus model building, and carving carousel animals; for a week every summer for twenty five years, he was guest carver and docent at the Herschel Carousel Museum in Tonawanda, New York. He served on the board of Mansion View Inn in the Old West End, as well as acting as Entertainment Chair for the Old West End Festival. He helped with the Lucas County Fair and the free entertainment stage Most recently he has been President of the Black Swamp Carvers of Toledo. He is survived by his sister, Judy Hoff, his wife, Melody nee Light, by three daughters Dawn Ying, Cherie Brewer-Coon, and Micheline Brewer, as well as by six grandchildren: Phoenix, Alexandra, Noelle, Kiandra, Kobe, and Logan. Visitation will be at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. west of Corey Rd. on Monday, 1 April from 5 to 8pm. The memorial liturgy will be at Glenwood Lutheran Church, 2545 Monroe Street, Toledo, OH 43620 on Tuesday, 2 April at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Glenwood Lutheran Church, One Appeal for North West Ohio Synod, 621 Bright Rd. Findlay OH 45840, or to the Cherry Street Mission, 105 17th St. Toledo, OH 43604. Online condolences may be shared at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com.