Edward Brinn

June 22, 1936 - January 3, 2021

06/22/1936 - 01/03/2021

Past Services

Service
Saturday January 23, 2021
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Altmeyer Funeral Home - Southside Chapel
5033 Rouse Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
(757) 422-4000 | Directions
Additional Information:

If you would like to livestream the memorial service to your device, please click HERE.

Edward ‘Eddie’ Lee Brinn, 84, and was also known as ‘Bubby’ to family, went home to be with the Lord on January 3, 2021.  He was born in Belhaven, North Carolina, on June 22, 1936.  Edward was born to the late Burl and Cornelia Bridgeman Brinn.  He was preceded in death by his sister, Shelby Thomas; brother, Lewis Brinn, and sister, Mary Emily Brooks.  He passed away unexpectedly and peacefully in his sleep after having just gone down for his nap.
Edward was a carpenter by trade who had been taught by his father and uncles, but at fifteen years old he left his hometown to join the military.  He was sent to California to finish up school and later enlisted in the Marines- against his father’s wishes, but later, his father reluctantly signed the consent form.  At seventeen years of age, he graduated from the Marine Corp and served four years in the military with the rank of private first class and received the National Defense Service Medal. Yearning to explore the world more and experience life unencumbered, he soon became a member of the Merchant Marines (a civilian)  which required him to work long hours, face brutal conditions at sea, work alongside the Navy and Coast Guard delivering and distributing supplies and weapons especially during times of war, be physically and mentally fit to deal with stressful situations and have mechanical aptitude.
As a Merchant Seaman, he traveled extensively and when asked what places he had visited, he replied that he had been everywhere in the world at least fifty times.  While traveling through Asia, he met his wife, Nenita, in the Philippines in 1967, and after proposing on three separate occassions and after a year of courtship, Nenita finally agreed to marry him on January 10, 1968.  He continued to work in the Merchant Marines.  He later trained at Piney Point becoming an Able Body Seaman and then a Bosun achieving and becoming an A Seniority member which is the highest level one can attain. Later, Nenita and Maria joined him in the US and the family eventually settled down in Chesapeake and added one more daughter, Suzanne. Shortly after, he began working for Curtis Bay Towing Company.  As a tug boat operator, he had to pull or push large ships through harbor entrances and locks and then berth them.  He would also rescue ships in distress and assist in salvage operations. He was on call for 24 hours a day for weeks at a time while working on the tugs and the water barge. After moving to Virginia Beach, he started to build his dream home in Chesapeake with the help of Nenita, and occasionally, his daughters.  Not including his time spent in the military, he had amassed over 8,550 days (23 years) of sea time.
After retiring, he repaired and added on to his home throughout the years and helped his daughters with projects and renovations on their homes. He enjoyed spending time with his family especially the grandchildren; volunteering (cooking, fixing/woodworking and assisting) at St. Gregory’s Church and working with the Men’s Club at BINGO on Friday nights and being involved in the Knights of Columbus; walking in the neighborhood as new housing developments went up; cooking; baking; mowing the lawn; chopping wood; shopping for that perfect shoe or work boot; hanging out with his son-in-law’s siblings-especially Peter Fischer, MD; discussing history, religion and politics; watching action movies; improving his Spanish and Hebrew, sitting and rocking in his recliner; taking trips with his children and grandkids to places such as DisneyWorld, Williamsburg, The Biltmore, etc., or attending Symphony Concerts or Performing Art Shows; dancing the merengue, cha-cha, salsa, bachata, samba, and rumba at family get-togethers or at an occasional wedding- but mostly at home; listening to music-Strauss, Nat King Cole, Pavarotti, Andre Rieu, Andrea Bocelli, Latino and Tejano music; reading poetry; singing classic songs such as Mona Lisa, Harbor Light and You Are My Sunshine to his grandchildren and just enjoying the view and watching the ships, sailboats, the occasional submarine, military craft, cruise ships, and cargo ships go by on the Chesapeake Bay while eating a meal, drinking his eighth cup of decaffeinated coffee and indulging in a chocolate dessert. He was a loving and generous husband, father, and grandfather and he will be extremely missed.
Edward is survived by his loving wife, Nenita Cataytay Brinn;  his two loving daughters, Maria Brinn and Suzanne Brinn (Andrew Fischer, MD), and his five grandchildren, Richard Brinn Anderson, Alex Brinn, Zoe, Hunter, and Tyler Fischer; a brother, Burl Jr. Brinn (Willene) and numerous extended family.

A “Celebration of Life’ will be held for Edward Brinn on Saturday, January 23, 2021, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm
at Altmeyer Funeral Home, Southside Chapel in Virginia Beach. To livestream the memorial service to your device, please click HERE.
Mass on Sunday, January 24th, 2021 will be dedicated in his honor.
When the COVID numbers decrease, the family plans on having another Celebration of Life when the weather warms up- by or on the Ocean.
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