Obituary of Dennis Washburn Brindley

Dennis Washburn Brindley passed away peacefully on Tuesday January 31st. He was preceded in death by his sister Martha and is survived by his wife Betty, his children, Richard Brindly and Sheri Ober, 5 grandchildren and 2 step grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and his sister Katheryn Tyler.

Dennis was born July 21st, 1933 to parents Carl and Mildred Brindley. He first met Betty Helms when they were sophomores in high school, and they were married in Gold Hill, North Carolina on September 13th, 1952. After high school, Dennis studied electrical engineering at DeForest Technical Institute in Chicago before joining the Air Force in 1953. He was stationed in Spokane, Washington, where he served until leaving the Air Force in 1957.

No long afterwards, Dennis felt called into Christian ministry, and went to Columbia Bible College in South Carolina. He later moved to Oregon to get his doctorate degree at Western Baptist Seminary. After graduating in 1966, he became the founding pastor of First Baptist Church in Canby, where her served for over 30 years until his retirement in 2000. Even after retiring, Dr. Brindley continued for many years to act as interim pastor for various churches in the Northwest that called on him for help.

Dennis had many hobbies throughout his life including hunting, fishing, and bike riding, but he spent most of his hours with his worn and underlined study Bible open on his lap. He had a passion for people and spent much of his time as a pastor visiting and encouraging his congregation and any others that came his way. He had several favorite area restaurants and would always end up on a first name basis with their staff. He loved to tell everyone he met about Jesus, and if he was writing this himself, he'd certainly invite you to pray to Jesus to be your savior.

To his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Dr. Brindley was just "Granddad." He delighted in his time with them pushing them on swings, taking them on bike rides, and on frequent trips for ice cream. Even with the demands on his time that came with being a pastor, he was always able to make plenty of time for them. In his last years, few things could make him smile bigger than a visit from his great-grandchildren.

He passed away in the living room of his Canby home after a long battle with illness. Loved ones were playing some of his favorite Gospel music songs while keeping watch, and the lyrics of "The King is Coming" by the Gaither Vocal Band could be heard as he took his last breaths.

"O the king is coming.

The King is coming

I just heard the trumpets sounding.

And now His face I see.

O the King is coming.

The King is coming

Praise God, He's coming for me."