BRUBAKER FUNERAL HOME - Key Persons
Audrey is the office administrator. She joined our team in March of 2019. Originally from New York, she retired as a Captain from the police force. She is currently a Whitehall resident since 2015. She is bilingual and proficient in Spanish.
She is responsible for organizing and managing files, answering phones, delivering messages, offering administrative assistance where needed, and supporting other staff members with daily operational tasks. She possesses great organizational skills and enjoys helping families.
She is always eager to learn and ready to accept any challenge. She feels the best part of her job is meeting people and helping in any way she can. She enjoys what she does and feels most fulfilled when she receives positive feedback from satisfied families.
She is a life-long Marc Anthony fan and has attended many of his concerts with hopes of one day meeting him! During her free time, Audrey enjoys spending quality time with her husband David and their fur baby Chloe.
David J. Buss, 61, of Walnutport, passed away on July 16, 2023, at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Born in Allentown, he was a son of the late Richard C. Buss and Jeanne C. (Grey)Buss. He was the companion of Stephanie Vallese with whom he shared 15 years together prior to his passing.
David graduated from Whitehall high school then served honorably in the U.S. Navy Reserves. He was a construction foreman for Serfass Construction of Whitehall for over 25 years.
David had many hobbies. He loved gardening and planting vegetables. He enjoyed hunting, camping and fishing trips to Canada.
David loved playing his guitar and played in the bluegrass band The Forgotten Mountain Boys among other groups.
David will be lovingly missed and remembered by all who knew and loved him.
Surviving along with his companion Stephanie are his daughter, Chelsea L. Johnson, and husband Chad; brother, Daniel T. Buss, sister, Diane C. Rupnik and husband Walt and grandson, Shane Orion Johnson.
J. Andrew Brubaker is a licensed funeral director and owner of Brubaker Funeral Home, Inc. He is a 1991 graduate of Catasauqua High School. He has a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and Sciences from the Rochester Institute of Technology and earned a degree in Funeral Service Education from Northampton Community College.
Andrew grew up in their Catasauqua funeral home, but did not immediately persue funeral directing as a career. After graduating from R.I.T., Andrew worked in a variety of graphic design, medical illustration, and publishing jobs taking him to Emmaus, Portland, OR and Seattle, WA. In 2000, he reached out to local family run funeral homes in Seattle and began working with Hoffner, Fisher and Harvey Funeral Home. Andrew moved back to Catasauqua in 2003 to begin working with his dad in the family business. He was named Supervisor when the funeral home incorporated in 2008 and became Brubaker Funeral Home, Inc. In 2017, Andrew worked together with his dad to purchase the Robert A. Hauke Funeral Home, Inc. in Coplay. Andrew is currently an owner and President of Brubaker Funeral Home, Inc.
Andrew and his wife Kimberly live in the Catasauqua funeral home with their daughter Lucy and son Jack and their yellow lab, Ruby. He is a member of the EPFDA and the Suburban North YMCA Advisory Council. He loves music and plays the guitar and piano. In 2004, he helped start the local rock and roll band, Tavern Tan, and has played with them ever since. In his down time, he enjoys running, mountain biking, skateboarding, hiking, and traveling.
Jim Slider, 93, of Luther Crest Allentown, PA., passed away Monday, July 31, 2023. Born in Reading, PA., he was a son of the late James Leonard and Rachel Slider. He was predeceased by his twin brother, Leonard Slider.
Jim graduated from Allentown High School in 1947 and went on to serve honorably in the U.S. Army where he became a paratrooper, completing over 35 jumps.
He later went on to marry his late wife, Dorla Dean with whom he shared 68 years together.
Jim was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church, Allentown, PA. and was a previous long-time member of First United Methodist Church, Pottstown, PA. where he was very active for many years.
He was a grocery store manager in Pottstown, PA. and became a supervisor for the buying department in Philadelphia, PA. After moving to Marathon, Fla., he again managed a grocery store.
Jim enjoyed a wide variety of sports and activities which included; boating, waterskiing, windsurfing, bowling, riding motorcycles and flying gyrocopters.
He was a member of the Roamers Hiking Group in Pottstown and the Bocce Team at Luther Crest. He enjoyed playing any and all types of games. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
Jim is survived by his daughter, Cindi Dvornicky and husband Joseph, sister, Peg Samois, grandsons; Jared Dvornicky and wife Kerry, James Dvornicky; great grandchildren, Alexander Dvornicky, Claire Dvornicky and nephew, Jim Samois.
John H. Brubaker is a licensed funeral director for over 54 years, an owner of Brubaker Funeral Home, Inc. and is the current supervisor for the Coplay location. John and his wife Heide have been owners and operators of the business for over 43 years.
John graduated from Altoona High School and received his funeral service education from Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. In 1961 he began working for the former Beahm Funeral home in Pittsburgh before relocating his family to Allentown to work for the former Werley Funeral Home, currently the K.V. Knopp Funeral Home. In 1978 John and Heide bought the Thomas A. Burkholder Funeral Home in Catasauqua and renamed it John H. Brubaker Funeral Home. The business incorporated in 2008 and was renamed Brubaker Funeral Home, Inc. making John the President. Brubaker Funeral Home, Inc. bought the Robert A. Hauke Funeral Home, Inc. in Coplay in 2017 naming John the supervisor of the new location.
John married Heidemarie Jäger of Stuttgart, Germany in 1967 and they have 2 children. Their daughter Julia Brubaker and her husband Matthew Hollenbach live in Lancaster with their daughters, Bella, Ella, Georgia and Liv. Their son J. Andrew Brubaker and his wife Kimberly live in the Catasauqua funeral home with their children Lucy and Jack.
John has been a member of the EPFDA and an active member of a variety of community clubs and organizations over the years. He has been a faithful member of Asbury United Methodist Church in Allentown since moving to the Lehigh Valley in 1971. He enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling and spending time with his family.