Glen Arbor Fourth of July Parade organizer Stan Brubaker dies
From staff reports
Stan Brubaker, the unofficial organizer and grand marshal selector for Glen Arbor’s “anything goes” Fourth of July parade, died on Monday, March 6, at age 95 at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.
According to his daughter Kristi, longtime family friend and former Glen Lake fire chief John DePuy will take over parade duties. This will be the 60th year of the parade, following a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brubaker, a native of Cleveland, grew up in Detroit, studied at Indiana University where he met his beloved wife Jo (who passed away in 2016), and ran an “Export Management” business which took him all over the world.
The family started renting a cottage in Glen Haven on Sleeping Bear Bay in 1961, and Jo launched Glen Arbor’s first Fourth of July parade in 1963. The Brubakers later bought the cottage and moved there full time in 1972.
Our 2015 feature story on Brubaker clarified this important fact: Under no circumstances is Stan Brubaker the boss of the Glen Arbor July 4th parade. “Nobody has a title,” he said. “Nobody’s in charge.” Brubaker will cop to one other thing: “I’m the person who gets people lined up in Glen Haven” — the parade’s point of departure.
What might well be the least hierarchically-inclined holiday terra flotilla was an idea that traveled north with the Brubakers in 1963 when they started spending summers in Glen Haven. The Brubaker kids made some noise about having a parade like the one back home in Birmingham — from where they moved in 1972. And so, it came to pass.
Parade participation is restriction-free. “Simply get yourself decorated up and come to Glen Haven. A lot of (participants) don’t do any decorating until they get here,” Brubaker said.
The parade leaves at noon and moves east along M-109 toward the gas station at M-22 and Egeler Street. In a nod to practicality and foresight, the Leelanau County Sheriff and fire trucks lead the parade in the unlikely event they need to address a rent in the social fabric. Vintage cars are also placed in the front of the line. “They’ll overheat if they don’t keep moving,” Brubaker said. After that, it’s first-come, first placed.
“You get in line according to when you show up,” he said.
According to Brubaker’s obituary, a memorial service honoring him will take place Monday, March 13, at 11 am, at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City. Visitation is one hour prior to the service. Those not able to attend the service in person may visit Rjfh.tv and click on Brubaker’s photo to view the live service. Please direct memorial contributions to the Glen Lake Fire Department, Glen Lake Library or to the Glen Arbor Arts Center. A celebration of his life will take place this summer at Old Settlers Park on Big Glen Lake. Stay tuned for more information.
