Bear Creek honors the life of Wendy Brody, a long-time resident of Bear Creek. Wendy will be remembered for her warm and outgoing nature, her devotion to others, her athleticism in sports such as skiing and hiking, and her dedication to charitable organizations. She carried herself with grace, always wearing her signature red lipstick even while tackling a challenging wilderness hike. She was a loving mother and grandmother. She is survived by her son, John Brody (who lives here in Alpine Meadows) as well as her daughter Ingrid, son in law Justin and grandchildren William, Elina and Isla.
As remembered by BCA resident Brian Todd, ‘Wendy was on the tree committee here in Bear Creek, and would stay up for most of the summer. She loved it up here. She was an incredible walker and thought nothing of walking to Paige Meadows with her dog, from her house. When I walked with her, she would often wait for me to catch up. I will miss her very much. She was one of those people who always saw the bright things about life and didn't get down by things that were a challenge’.
Below is a bit more about Wendy and her life.
Wendy grew up in Stockton, CA and learned to ski on trips with her family to the mountains around Lake Tahoe. As we know, Wendy would later return to these mountains, spending summer and winter vacations and hosting friends and family at her home in Bear Creek.
Wendy was a trailblazer in the early 70’s. Her career as an economist included work at SRI in Palo Alto and the Social Security Administration in Washington DC. While there, in 1974, she authored a classic study titled ‘The Economic Value of a Housewife’ that was used to compute the economic contribution of people who were not directly in the workforce. This published work can be found on the web.
Wendy was an extraordinary volunteer and community builder. Amongst her contributions were: co-founding the Gamble Gardens in Palo Alto, CA, and over the span of 40 years, serving as a board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the La Jolla Music Society, the Walters Museum (Baltimore) and Mills College (her alma mater). John Hopkins University built the Brody Learning Commons, dedicated to Wendy and her ex-husband Bill’s contributions to the university.
Wendy contributed so much to her family, friends, and communities. She is deeply missed by all.
The above material was partially excerpted from Wendy’s memorial piece. With thanks to Brian Todd for providing additional detail.
