Henry "Hank" Allen Brubaker

Henry (Hank) Allen Brubaker, native of Arizona, died July 8, 2025, at the age of 89.

Henry was born to Douglas Brubaker and Margaret Allen Brubaker on April 24, 1936, in Clifton, AZ. Both of his parents were educators. When Henry was five the family bought property along the Gila River, between Clifton and Duncan, Arizona. Henry’s parents lived there until Douglas died in 1993.

After graduating from Duncan High School Hank enrolled in the University of Arizona in Tucson. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science and later a Master’s Degree.  While at the University of Arizona he met a young woman working in the Agriculture Department, (Katherine) Ann Dumond, and they married March 28, 1959, in a small ceremony in Duncan.

After working a few years as a County Extension Agent in Tucson and Casa Grande, Hank was hired by Bruce Church Inc and worked the Yuma, AZ, farm and later the Poston, AZ, farm. In 1972 he was hired as an agronomist by FICO near Wickenburg, AZ. In early 1973 Hank and Ann bought a home in Wickenburg in which they lived until 2019.

Hank and Ann had two daughters, Allyson, born in 1963 in Casa Grande, and Annette, born in 1967 in Yuma.

He loved to fish with his father in northern Arizona when possible.

While working for FICO, Hank became Farm Manager. Later FICO sold to Martori Farms, and Hank continued working as Farm Manager, retiring three times and being rehired twice. His final work stint began when he was 75 years old. The main crops grown during his time as manager were cotton, wheat, and cantaloupe.

In 2019 Hank and Ann sold their home and moved to Colorado Springs, CO, with their daughter Annette and her husband.

Hank and Ann were long time members of the First Presbyterian Church of Wickenburg, and Hank served the congregation in several capacities over the years. Hank also served on the Board of Education for the Wickenburg School District, and was a member of and served as President of Calcot, Ltd, a cotton grower cooperative covering several states.

Hank was a man known for his integrity and his quiet, strong leadership. He was a man of few words, but the words he chose to say were well-spoken. He was honest and fair and well-respected by people who knew him. He was clear about his convictions, one of which was his work ethic. His children and grandchildren, if ever they worked on the farm that Hank managed, remember his lecture against laziness on the job.

Hank was a compassionate man, serving on mission trips to Mexico, helping young families who worked on the farm, and rescuing folks with car troubles that he came upon on his daily commute. He rose early his entire life, pulling out his old Bible and reading one chapter from the Old Testament, one chapter from either Psalms or Proverbs, and one chapter from the New Testament daily. This continued until he was no longer physically able to hold his Bible, two days before his passing.

When his children or grandchildren told him they loved him, he responded with, “I loved you first.”

Hank was preceded in death by his wife Ann, his parents, and his two sisters, Kathleen Brubaker of Tucson and Elaine Disney of Ellis, Kansas. He is survived by daughters, Allyson Searway of Ensenada, BC, Mexico, and Annette Ridgway, of Colorado Springs, CO, son-in-law Brett Ridgway, five grandchildren, Justin (born on Henry’s birthday), Emily, Laura, Julia, and Brian, and three great grandchildren, Jacob, Micah Henry, and Shepherd (born on the day of Henry’s graduation to heaven).