KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Charlie Brakebill, a veteran and family man who dedicated decades of his life to promoting and advancing the University of Tennessee, died in his sleep overnight Thursday at his Knoxville home. He was 97.
Services are pending. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Joyce Brakebill, who died in 2009. She is interred at East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery on Lyons View Pike.
Brakebill joined UT in the early 1960s as its first full-time development director. He was part of the UT administration during what many consider its 20th century glory years, which featured the tenures of Ed Boling, Andy Holt, and Joe Johnson.
During his 30-plus years at UT, Brakebill helped burnish its alumni and development program. He retired in 1996 as vice president of development and alumni affairs.
In 2011, Brakebill was honored at the annual Alumni Awards Dinner.
Brakebill also was a staunch supporter of the Clarence Brown Theatre on campus -- having personally worked with the Hollywood director, for whom the theater is named, and his wife, Marian, to encourage their lasting support of the theater program at UT.
Brakebill was a staunch, longtime CBT advisory board member, most recently designated as a board member emeritus. He routinely cheered on the theater program, exhorting fellow board members and theater company members to treasure and protect what they had.
CBT Managing Director Tom Cervone honored Brakebill on Friday night as CBT started its spring season, telling patrons before a performance of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" that he was "Kind, empathetic and compassionate," among other things.
Brakebill, Cervone said, was "the man directly responsible for securing the gift from Clarence Brown himself to build this building, as well as this theatre program, to what it is today..."
"We will miss you, Charlie, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest," Cervone said.
THE PIANO LOVE AFFAIR
Service to UT wasn't all Brakebill dedicated himself to. He loved his country -- and he served it in its darkest hour.
The Madisonville, Tenn., native joined the Army at age 18 and ended up serving several years in Europe during World War II.
He met and fell in love with a pretty French pharmacy student named Anthelmette Guillard in a romance that consisted of long walks and letters of love. Brakebill lost touch with the woman and learned decades later that she had died.
He visited her grave in France and ended up writing a small book about their wartime relationship that he called "The Piano Love Affair". The title stems from the way he met Guillard: Her family was trying to move a piano in their French town.
Brakebill's little book ended up being made into a short movie a few years ago that was featured at the Knoxville Film Festival.
Brakebill was incredulous that his sweet little story ended up being made into a movie.
"I thought it was crazy," he would later tell WBIR. But he also thought the movie turned out well.
After World War II, Brakebill continued his military service, eventually retiring from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.
Survivors include daughter Linda Norris and son Larry Brakebill.