Jim Brush of Mills River, North Carolina, “shuffled off his mortal coil” and joined the peace and joy of heaven on Saturday, June 24, 2023. He was born on November 21, 1924, in Washington, D.C. to Dr. Warren Brush of English New English descent, and Lola Hoffman of Virginia German descent. Both of Jim’s grandparents fought in the Civil War on both sides. Jim was named for the Confederate James Huffman.
Jim graduated from Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in 1942 and turned 18 at his freshman semester at M.I.T. Uncle Sam came and called up all the engineering students and told them they were all in the United Army. After basic training, he attended the Army Specialized College in Engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. At then end of the program he scored high enough to be sent to Los Alamos, New Mexico to work on switches for the experimental Atomic Bomb. On the day the bomb was detonated, he was assigned a mile away to warn the local Basque shepherds if the fallout was going in their direction!
After a return to M.I.T., he worked as an Electrical Engineer at the Navy Sea Ships Command in Washington, D.C., being responsible for the electronic equipment on our battleships.
Jim is predeceased by his first wife, Penelope “Penny” Stevenson; and one sister, Mary Brush Stearns.
With Penny, Jim had three children, Patricia Brush Thompson (Charlie), Charles (Kathy) and Joseph (Pam).
After Penny’s death, Jim married Evie Murray, whom he met at a Singles Group at the National Cathedral in 1980. With Evie, Jim’s retirement project was to care for their daughter, Mary Elizabeth, who was born in 1984.
Jim leaves grandchildren, Christopher Perando (Jen), Tim Perando, Brian Brush (Laurel), James Brush (Rose), Emilie Drake, Stephen Brush (Allison) and Kannon Drake; great grandchildren, Alyssa, and Austin Perando; and three grandchildren from an adopted daughter, Rita and Carolyn Walker and their children, Cali Vannoy, Caleb Lyda and Tyshaun Lynch. He also leaves behind his Murray stepchildren, Thomas (Susanna), Alfred (Meltem), Morgan (Dani) and Elisabeth (Chris); and Murray grandchildren, Lyda, Maddy, Blue, Dylan and Tristan, Aidan, and Annie Obertein.
Jim and Evie Brush were founding members of Holy Family Episcopal Church in 1989. Jim was President and Registrar of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Treasurer of the Western Colony of the Mayflower Society in North Carolina.
Jim’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Mills River Presbyterian, 10 Presbyterian Church Road in Mills River, between School House Road and Rt 280. The committal and reception will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Family, 419 Turnpike Road in Mills River. Honor guard will be provided by the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Those wishing to make a memorial donation in Mr. Brush’s memory are asked to consider, Holy Family Episcopal Church and/or to the Katharine Allen Dutcher Scholarship Fund at Blue Ridge College in Flat Rock.