Bernie Brommel

Obituary photo

Bernard Joseph Brommel
13 Aug 1930 - 22 Sep 2018

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• [https://windycitytimes.com/2017/09/13/bernie-brommel-looks-back-at-early-years-of-tpan/ Bernie Brommel looks back at early years of TPAN

Obituaries

Bernard Brommel passes away at 88
by Matt Simonette

Bernard Brommel, a retired Northeastern Illinois University ( NEIU ) professor, therapist and philanthropist, passed away Sept. 22 at his home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, according to an NEIU statement. He was 88. Brommel taught from 1971-1997 at NEIU's Department of Speech and Performing Arts—now the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre—where he specialized in family communication. He is survived by his partner of more than 20 years, Carl Ratner, as well as six children.

NEIU officials praised what they called Brommel's "tremendous legacy" of giving to NEIU. He was the first million-dollar donor to the institution; his total donations amounted to about $2.5 million. He had invested his earnings from his family therapy practice.

"His enthusiasm and passion for Northeastern Illinois University shone through in our every interaction," Northeastern President Gloria J. Gibson said in the statement. "Bernie will be missed by me and the Northeastern community, but never forgotten."

"It's impossible to put a value on what Dr. Brommel means to Northeastern," NEIU Foundation Board President John Roskopf said. "He asked others to be generous and he led by example, contributing to endowments and scholarships where they would have the greatest positive impact on the academic experiences and successes of the University's students."

"For decades Dr. Brommel inspired and mentored students and faculty," Department of Communication, Media and Theatre Chair Shayne Pepper said. "He cared deeply about Northeastern and remained connected to us throughout his life. It is comforting to know that his legacy will live on through his written work, the students and faculty who knew him, and the many who will continue to be connected to him through his numerous endowed scholarships and faculty positions. He will always be part of this university."

In a 2008 interview with Windy City Times, published in 2017, Brommel, an Iowa native, spoke about why he didn't come out until middle age, noting that his family had "this rich legacy of Catholicism. We have this legacy of nuns and priests. I certainly didn't come out until after my mother died. I had no experiences. Went through college and frankly didn't even know the meaning, growing up on a farm, of the words 'gay' or 'lesbian.' I figured it out in a college sociology class. I had no experiences until I was 38 or 40 years old. So, in many respects, in our world, I was a late bloomer."

In the early '80s, Brommel became active in the fight against HIV/AIDS, recalling that a fateful trip out west served as inspiration to work on spreading the word about the virus in Chicago.

Brommel said, "A colleague of mine at Northeastern, Randy Majors, God rest his soul, is dead now. He died of AIDS out there in San Francisco. I went out and stayed with him. He said, 'Brommel, you are too stupid and naive. Come out and stay with me, in San Francisco. I will show you what the Department of Health is doing. I'm never coming back to Chicago. I love San Francisco.' I never knew he had AIDS. I knew he took a lot of pills. Anyway, he took me to bars and some clubs."

He tested positive for HIV in 1986, he said. But he stayed motivated to work on behalf of persons with HIV/AIDS: "It comes back to my mother and my sister, who was a nun. I just thought it was something I had to do. I was passionate about it. I gave up my own writing. I didn't write many research articles in those years. I never have written on the gay crisis, though I could. I began to go to conventions on AIDS, but I never came out of the closet. Also, by that time, I was starting a practice. I eventually had a good family practice. I bring in complete jungles of families."

He and Ratner met at a meeting of the Chi-Town Squares dancing club in 1995, and moved in together the following year.

Brommel requested that memorial gifts be placed in the Bernard J. Brommel Endowment for Communication, Media and Theatre. Checks can be made out to the NEIU Foundation with "In memory of Dr. Brommel" in the memo line, and mailed to NEIU Foundation, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625-4699. For more information, contact the NEIU Office of Development at 773-442-4200. BROMMEL, PHD, BERNARD
Brommel, Bernard Joseph 8/13/1930, Des Moines, IA - 9/22/2018 Kalamazoo, MI.
Dr. Bernard J. Brommel Age, 88 of Kalamazoo, MI, died Saturday, 9/22/2018 after a long battle with heart disease and kidney failure. Born 8/13/1930 in Des Moines, IA, raised in St. Marys, IA. Taught 46 years in high schools and universities, including 26 years at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Retired from teaching in 1997, but continued private psychotherapy practice until struck by cancer in 2007. Author of important books in the fields of Labor History and Family Communication. Survived by partner, Carl Ratner, of 22 years and his 6 children: Michaela, Brian (Sheila), Debra Foyo, Brent (Fany), Bradley (Marianne), and Blair (Maureen), 16 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Wake: Church Hall, St. Marys, IA, 9/28/2018, 5-8 pm. Funeral: Immaculate Conception Church, St. Marys, IA 9/29/2018, 10:30 am. Memorials in Chicago and Kalamazoo, TBD. Donations to the Bernard J. Brommel Endowed Professorship at Northeastern Illinois University or the Ratner-Little Opera Society Endowment at Western Michigan University.

Bernard Brommel | 1930-2018s
Professor funded 25 scholarships
By Maureen O'Donnell

With his knack for investing and a work ethic forged by plowing fields and milking cows on a family farm, Bernard Brommel became the first $1 million donor to Northeastern Illinois University, where he had been a professor.

Thrifty habits — like always packing a lunch — helped. “He squirreled away every dollar he could,” said Carl Ratner, his partner of 22 years.

Mr. Brommel also had good instincts for stocks, according to Ratner: “Very early on, he said, ‘I don’t much like coffee, but these yuppies seem to like it, so I think I’ll put some money in Starbucks.’ ”

After retiring, he became the North Side school’s second-biggest donor. Ultimately, he gave more than $2.5 million to Northeastern, funding more than 25 scholarships, as well as faculty research stipends, a lecture series and a garden for its library.

He was the only teacher at Northeastern Illinois University to have a campus building named in his honor. In 2010, the school named its science building for him: Bernard J. Brommel Hall.

In addition to teaching family dynamics at Northeastern, he was a therapist and wrote books. “Bernie worked three jobs all his life,” his partner said.

He died Sept. 22 at 88 at his home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Ratner is a professor of music at Western Michigan University. Mr. Brommel had a heart attack due to kidney failure, his partner said.

His donations made a big difference at Northeastern, where many students are the first in their families to go to college, said Richard Lindberg, author of “Northeastern Illinois University: the First 150 Years.”

Mr. Brommel studied how families interact and deal with conflict, roles and decision-making. His textbook “Family Communication: Cohesion and Change” has been reprinted about 10 times, Ratner said. His textbook “Family Communication: Cohesion and Change” has been reprinted about 10 times, Ratner said.

“The book was groundbreaking in that it did discuss different ethnic styles and also because it included non-traditional definitions of family, like LGBT families,” Ratner said.

The professor’s 1978 book “Eugene V. Debs: Spokesman for Labor and Socialism” won an award for biography from the Society of Midland Authors.

The life of Mr. Brommel — who came out as gay in middle age after being married and having six children — was extended by drugs that fight AIDS. He was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1986 and participated in clinical trials for some of the breakthrough medications, Ratner said.

His partner at the time, who was on a placebo in a trial, died of AIDS, according to Ratner. Mr. Brommel was treated with AZT and lived.

An early proponent of HIV testing and safe sex, he was one of the first 20 members of the Test Positive Aware Network. TPAN’s message wasn’t always well-received in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, with some labeling the group fear-mongers, he said in an interview with Windy City Times last year.

Growing up the oldest of nine children in St. Marys, Iowa, he was expected by his father to work on the farm, said his daughter Michaela.

But a high school teacher, Grace Laird, “inspired him to go on to college and told him he could be more than a pig farmer,” Michaela said. To the end of his life, “He had her picture in his studio.”

In 1951, he graduated from the University of Northern Iowa and taught high school, where he was a mentor to students like Ken Miller. After the death of his farmer dad when he was about 15, Miller had “constant worry” about drought and lambing season in addition to homework. Mr. Brommel encouraged him to achieve his dream of being a medical doctor. “He never forgot me, and I never forgot him,” said Miller, now retired.

Mr. Brommel also earned a master’s in education from the University of Iowa and a doctorate in communication from Indiana University. After serving on the faculty at Indiana State University and the University of North Dakota, he joined Northeastern, where he taught from 1971 to 1997.

While teaching at Northeastern, he earned a master’s in counseling at the school. He continued his workload as an instructor and began a private therapy practice.

He met Ratner through an LGBTQ square-dancing group, the Chi-Town Squares.

His daughter Michaela said, “He would end phone calls — or begin them — with, ‘Has anyone told you they loved you today?’ ”

On his deathbed, she repeated her father’s own words to him, asking: “Has anyone told you they loved you today?”

Mr. Brommel is also survived by his daughter Debra Foyo, sons Brian, Brent, Brad and Blair, sister Pat Eskra, brother Denny, 16 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. His former wife Wilma Brommel died before him. A wake is planned from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday in St. Marys, Iowa, with his funeral at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Immaculate Conception Church in St. Marys.

He requested that Northeastern pennants be draped over his casket, along with his cap and gown.

Memorial Panel

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Photos

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  University of Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA) 1951 yearbook photo

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  Article (The Record-Herald and Indianola Tribune)

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  Obituary (The Kalamazoo Gazette)

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  Obituary photo

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  Obituary (Chicago Sun-Times)

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  Obituary photo

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  Find A Grave Memorial 23048848

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