Remembering Deborah Brewster

Deborah Brewster with two of her children in 1991.

Remembering Deborah Brewster, Her Years of Service

Deborah Brewster served as a member of local school boards for 18 years and was a member of GSA’s Joint Board before becoming a trustee in the 1990s. She earned great respect and admiration for her commitment to the quality of local education, and served GSA in many ways, including as president of the board and longtime chair of the Campaign Steering Committee. In this critical role, Deborah was undoubtedly GSA’s greatest advocate, working tirelessly to advance the school. Though Deborah’s tenure as a trustee ended in 2012, she continued to play an active role in the life of the school and partnered with the Advancement Office through 2021. Below is an excerpt from a tribute to Deborah given by former trustee Rob Clapp ’73 at Deborah’s celebration of life on Saturday, Sept. 25.

“I first got to know Deborah as a member of the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital Board in the early 1990s. The health care system at the time—especially that of small rural hospitals like Blue Hill—was changing rapidly. Deborah was a voice of reason on that board and reminded us that, no matter what the new government program was or what our financial challenges were, our primary mission as board members was the health of the community.

“Deborah also let it be known at the time that the George Stevens Academy Board was her number one board commitment. And I grew to realize it was not her love of GSA that made her the board member that she was, but her commitment to the education of young people in our communities.

Deborah Brewster with two of her grandchildren in New Zealand (2019).

“Deborah became a leader of the GSA Board and was the person who led the effort to restructure the board from a two-board system to a single board. She could accomplish this because she had been a school board member from Brooklin, joint board member, and a trustee—and as such— had the trust of all of the different constituencies that were involved in this process. Because of Deborah, what could have been a thorny and divisive issue became largely a non-event, because she had the standing and respect of all to convince everyone that this was for the best.

“Deborah had the ability to make all parties feel listened to and not judged. She could disagree without making someone feel stupid, and had the ability to unify a board with her actions and statements.

“When I was interviewed to become a trustee, Deborah made me, and other new board members, feel welcomed and appreciated. And although I remember saying to her that I couldn’t do any fundraising and didn’t know anyone who had money, somehow, we found ourselves on a number of development calls. Deborah was always able to articulate GSA’s mission to donors and the importance it played in our peninsula community. And when it became my turn to be a leader of the GSA Board, Deborah’s encouragement was an important reason why I agreed to serve. I remember her phone call where she said, ‘Rob, don’t worry, you can do this and I assure you that I will always have your back.’

“And for the next few years, GSA went through a tumultuous time, with 5 different Heads of School in 7 years, and I can say that through all of our travails, she was true to her word. Deborah had my back and always gave me sound advice. She would often remind us that our role as Trustees—and the mission of GSA—was for the benefit of students—not the administration, or the faculty, or even public opinion.

“Later, as we both went on with our lives after GSA, Deborah became a member of the select board of Brooklin. I always enjoyed working with her in that role, and again, felt that she was working for the best interest of the community. And although we did not see each other that often, I always felt there was an unspoken bond between us because of our shared experiences.”