David Dean Brenner

Dave Brenner was many things to many people. Husband, father, son, brother, and grandfather. In his nearly 59 years he lived his life and career with the same devotion and matter of fact approach he put into all aspects of his life. After dealing with explosives and war zones and state department security issues all over the world; after retiring and helping build up his family’s commercial real estate business; after dedicating his life to his family, his country, to fellow veterans, to his community - Dave still had the most difficult assignment of his life in front of him.

Raised primarily in the Goldenrod Community of Orange County Florida, Dave graduated from Winter Park High School. He attended University of Central Florida where he majored in Business and joined ROTC. While at UCF Dave met Teresa MacPherson and after a year they married on August 12, 1989. Upon graduation Dave was commissioned into the Army as a Field Artillery Officer. That was the beginning of a distinguished career that included nine years in the Middle East, three years in Europe, three years in Central America and various posts around the United States. His deployments included Bosnia-Herzergovinia, and in Iraq in support of operations IRAQI FREEDOM and NEW DAWN.

His military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), The Iraq Campaign Medal (with 2 Service Stars), the NATO Medal for the Balkans, and the Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge.

After several years in combat arms, Dave had a shift in his military career. Never one to shy away from a challenge, he went back to academia and received a Masters degree in Near East Studies from Princeton University and received Arabic language training at the Defense Language Institute. He then went on to serve multiple tours in the Middle East including 4 embassies; Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon. He used his experience and skills of diplomacy to keep the world’s tensions and personalities from exploding.

Colonel Brenner retired from the military in 2015 and as impressive as his career accomplishments were, Dave’s proudest achievement was raising his family together with his Teresa. Their first child Ben was born while in California, their second son Matthew was born in Maryland. In 2015 he and Teresa moved back to Winter Park.

He still had a lot more to accomplish as he took on the leadership role and worked closely with his father, Charlie and son Ben in the family’s successful commercial real estate business. He quickly took on and achieved the complex CCIM Designation. He was proud to earn his CCIM “pin” in the spring of 2022 and told everyone it was like having a PhD in investment real estate. Dave also shared his knowledge and leadership skills and was a passionate volunteer lending his time to local real estate boards, veterans groups and civic organizations. He especially loved serving on the Winter Park Rotary board of directors.

Born with a deep sense of purpose and self-reliance, Dave had a relentless drive to learn, build, fix and accomplish. He was a strategic thinker with great capacity to solve problems. Shortly after retiring from the military, Dave designed and built his own forever home, doing much of the work himself and putting Teresa to work as well. He loved to take on DIY projects. He baked, made the world’s best potato salad and homemade ice cream. He enjoyed fishing and boating. Yet, these commitments and passions took a back seat to his two true loves, his family…and his Miami Dolphins. Sundays were a sacred tradition of family, football, and chili cheese dogs. His beloved dog Oliver always knew it was game day when he was squeezed into his Dolphins doggie jersey.

Dave approached his brain cancer diagnosis with the same tenacity and determination that he showed his entire life. He packed as much living, love, memories and smiles into his last year as possible. Dave’s family easily share examples of the joy and warmth he radiated in his final year. He looked forward to family dinners every Friday night. He proudly officiated the wedding of his son Matt and fiancée Tyanni on May 2nd of this year, and was overjoyed when they announced that another granddaughter was on the way. In the midst of chemotherapy, he participated in a 5K; Melissa’s Race to Battle Brain Cancer, in Sanford, Florida. He completed the entire race alongside his family and close friends. Dave displayed unwavering strength and grace, while maintaining his characteristic sense of humor. Even from the hospital bed, he enjoyed watching home movies with his family and renewed his marriage vows.

In addition to his wife Teresa, Dave is survived by his father, Charles Brenner, mother, Judith Brenner, sister, Jennifer Hillan; son Matthew and daughter in-law, Tyannicia; son, Benjamin and daughter-in-law, Meriam; and his beloved granddaughter, Evelyn.

Dave’s family and friends will forever have beautiful memories of a dedicated, loving, giving, courageous, and kind man who faced life’s greatest challenge yet continued to spread joy and laughter at every chance.