Daily Sitka Sentinel

Graveside Service Set For Chris Brewton, 64

Christopher David Brewton

Christopher David Brewton, beloved husband, father, grandfather, son-in-law, brother, uncle, and friend, departed for his final adventure on April 1, 2021, succumbing to pancreatic cancer, with his wife and kids by his side. 

He loved all things boats and was often found with a fishing pole in hand. As a grandfather and uncle, he was known for spending time with the family children, patiently teaching them how to bait a hook or throw a baseball. Ever the comic, he always had a corny “dad” joke ready to tell, and he even managed to get the last laugh by passing away on April Fools’ Day. Chris was always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need – especially when a boat was involved!

He was born Sept. 26, 1956, in Malone, New York, to Alton and Mildred Brewton. He attended Valley Point High School in Dalton, Georgia, before heading to the Coast Guard immediately after graduation — he was just 17 when he started boot camp. Chris worked his way through the ranks, qualifying for Officer Candidate School, and eventually retiring as a lieutenant commander after 25 years of service. He spent those years at various duty stations around the world, from New York City to Guam to Kodiak, Alaska.

After retiring from the Coast Guard, he moved back south for a bit, working for both Dalton Utilities and the Tennessee Valley Authority. He eventually found his way back to Alaska, his favorite place. He worked as a utility engineer and then Port & Harbor Director for the city of Ketchikan before setting down some roots in Sitka, where he married Sitkan Kim Elliot. The two had a beautiful Berry Island ceremony in 2007 officiated by Michael Sullivan and assisted by stand-in mother Iko Sullivan. 

During his 14 years in Sitka, Chris took the lead in the largest single expansion of electric energy capacity in the city’s history: the Blue Lake Project. He spent years navigating the maze of federal permits, agency land transfers, complex financing, and contract negotiations. Just as he had been in his USCG service, Chris strived for perfection in the sharp-eyed oversight of his mission. Yet he still found time to provide individual encouragement to all of the Sitka workers hustling to get the project completed while also attending to his other demanding duties as director of the Sitka Electric Department. He leaves a renewable energy legacy that will serve, every day, many generations of Sitka families as well as provide for the future economic growth those families will need. 

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Alton and Mildred Brewton.

He is survived by his wife, Kim Elliot, Sitka, and his two children, Dara Brewton Schweitzer (Rob) of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Joshua David Brewton (Mary), Atlanta, Georgia. He also has four grandchildren: Cole, 22, Aidan, 15, Greyson, 3, and Rowan, 2 months.

Chris’s surviving siblings include his elder sister, Cindy Richmond (Richard), of Dalton, Georgia; his brother, Marc Brewton (Billie), of Cleveland, Tennessee; and his youngest sister, Teresa Otero (Jack), of Waterford, Virginia.

He also will be missed by his fathers-in-law Al Wilson of Sitka and Kent Adams (Lou) of Olympia, Washington; his brothers-in-law Kent Adams (Nancy) of Juneau and Michael Leccese (Klaudia) of Sitka; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

The family thanked the medical staff from SEARHC in Sitka and Alaska Oncology in Anchorage for their excellent care during Chris’s illness. They also thanked all of their friends and family members for their support over the last year.

A small graveside service will be held to celebrate Chris’s life at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Sitka National Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers include Joshua Brewton, Michael Leccese, Al Wilson, Ty Peterson, Jack West, and Ken Hales.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those who wish to do so make a small donation in Chris’s name to a favorite charity. Messages can be mailed to the family at 7 Maksoutoff Street in Sitka, AK, 99835.