Obituary of Frank Philip Brotherton

Frank Philip Brotherton

Camas, Washington:  Frank Philip Brotherton of Vancouver, Washington passed away on August 26, 2019 at the age of 98. 

Mr. Brotherton, who was called Philip (and “Pip” by his family), was born in May of 1921 in Altrincham, Cheshire, England, to Ann and Frank Brotherton.  In 1940, shortly after Great Britain declared war on Germany, he suspended his study of architecture at the University of Liverpool and volunteered for the Royal Air Force.  He served as an RAF officer for six years, working on early radar systems in Ireland and North Africa, and taking part in the Allied invasion of Italy.  Having attained the rank of Major, he served as RAF Commandant of Rome during the Allied occupation of that city. 

After the war ended, Philip completed his architecture studies and in 1951, he married Carolyn Ogden of Kansas City, Missouri, whom he met while she was studying in Liverpool.   The young couple moved to the Chicago area where they started a family and where Philip eventually joined the architecture firm of Perkins and Will.  Philip relocated with his family to Connecticut in 1961, where he continued to work as a partner with Perkins and Will until starting his own firm, Philip Brotherton and Associates, in 1968.  He specialized in designing schools and university buildings in the tri-state area. He was most proud of his designs of a high school in Monroe, New Jersey, and of buildings on the campuses of Clarkson University and the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects. 

In the 1980s, Philip turned to the new field of building housing for the elderly.  He conceived and saw to completion the building of Vantage House, a top-rated life care center in Columbia, Maryland. Upon his retirement in 2000, Philip moved to Vancouver, Washington to be closer to his son, Philip, and his family.  He lived in Vancouver on his own until the age of 95.  In his younger days, he enjoyed sailing and going to the symphony.

Although he was a proud American citizen who voted in every election, Philip never gave up his British ways.  He was a firm believer that most ailments, whether mental or physical, could be cured with a good cup of tea.  He maintained his dry British sense of humor to the end of his life and to the chagrin of his children.  His ability to keep a stiff upper lip in the face of adversity served him well throughout his long life.  He was a loving and supportive father to his children.

Mr. Brotherton leaves behind his three beloved children and their spouses:  Ann Brotherton Mohr and Craig Mohr of Malibu, California; Julia Brotherton and Stephen Voltz of Gloucester, Massachusetts; and Philip and Denise Brotherton of Vancouver, Washington.   He also leaves behind his grandchildren:  Sara Mohr and her fiancée Jo Holo;  Christopher Mohr; Louisa Brown and her partner David Bickford; Owen Brown;  Andrew Brotherton;  Hannah Brotherton and her fiancé Sergey Neronov; and Travis and Tyler Schemp,  along with his former wife Carolyn Brotherton of Hamden, Connecticut.  He was predeceased by his parents and his two brothers, Peter Brotherton and Christopher Brotherton.
 

A private memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.