In Memoriam

 

BRENNAN, Robert Francis (1941-2022)

Robert F. Brennan of Issaquah, Washington went to be with the Lord on Monday, December19, 2022, after a short battle with stage IV lung cancer. He passed away peacefully at home.He was 81 years old.

Born August 5, 1941, in Seattle, Washington, Robert was the oldest child of Frank and Ann Brennan. He had a younger sister, Monica. He grew up at their family home in West Seattle andspent many weekends at his grandparents homestead Black Diamond,Washingtonsurrounded by his many cousins. He attended Holy Rosary Grade School, Seattle Prep High School and went on to attend Seattle University on an ROTC scholarship. He graduated with a degree in business. He loved his time in the military and the honor of serving his country. It was during this time, while he was stationed at Scoffield Army Base in Hawaii, that he met the love of his life, Eileen.

It wasn't long after he returned from Korea, that he was discharged from the army and wed Eileen in August of 1968. Shortly after their marriage they settled down and made Issaquah their home. In 1969, they welcomed their daughter, Erin and then their son, Sean, in 1971.

Working in the hotel and travel industry was a stepping stone and lit his entrepreneurial spiriton fire making the dream of owning and operating his own travel business a reality. BrennanTours was born in 1978 and over the years would become Brennan Vacations and Canada A laCarte. It was truly a family business with Robert and Eileen at the helm and eventually Erin and Sean joining in later on. Robert loved sharing his love of travel with others and made an indelible mark in the travel industry reaching throughout N. America.

Robert was truly a people person who loved people and they loved him back. He lit up anyroom that he walked into wi th his outgoing personality and his laugh, which was contagious.

He loved pouring into the lives of others. He would often volunteer his time at Seattle Prep withthe golf teams and at Seattle University as a mentor to entrepreneurial students in their business school while also serving on their Board of Regents.

Family meant everything to Robert. He was a wonderful father and an amazing Papa to histhree grandkids, Jacob, (28), Griffin (25), and Sydney (23). He always went the extra mile tospend quality time with his grandkids and loved getting to Face Time with them whenever he could or traveling to wherever they were to be with them.

In his retirement, he loved playing golf with his cousin Gene, working out at the local gym,having Saturday Coffee dates at Starbucks with old friends and colleagues. Whenever he couldconnect with family or friends, he made the effort to do it. He was known by name at most ofhis favorite local spots, but the Issaquah Cafe was his favorite.

Everyone who knew Robert, knew they were better for having known him. He will be missedgreatly but will be remembered with laughter and his positive outlook on life!

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INAUEN, PETER (1943-2022)
 

Passed away at home to ALS better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Peter Inauen was born in Herisau, Switzerland. He was a beloved husband to Clarita Inauen, a wonderful father to Trinidad Sangermano, Teresita Moore, Anthony Navarro and Anesita Barnes. A loving grandfather to 8 and Great-grandfather to 17.

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NEUENHAUS, Jorg (1941- 2022)

Jorg Neuenhaus was a man who chose Mexico as his new homeland.

He was born in Germany at the time World War II began and he was able to emigrate to Canada and, from there, he went to Mexico, a country he loved and chose as his second homeland.

In Mexico, Jorg raised a loving and productive family, and also served with affection for the aggrandizement of the country.

He was a man very passionate and dedicated to his work, always giving a lot of himself before thinking about himself.

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Juan Berthelot was born in Paris, France and educated at the University of Paris.  In 1945 he entered the School of Hotel Administration (Ecole Hôtelière de Paris) obtaining the first place among 200 candidates in the Admission contest and graduated in 1948 with the highest marks of his generation.  He had different positions in various Hotels on the French Riviera, in the provinces of Auvergne, Brittany and finally in Paris, at the Hotel Claridge and the Hotel Continental (today the Westin Hotel).  In 1953 he was elected National President of the Hotel Commission, bringing together the former students of the 10 Hotel Schools of France.  A year later he joined the chain of Hilton Hotels, where he remained for 13 years and held various executive positions in New York, Beverly Hills, San Francisco and Denver, but given his ability in the business, eight years later, in 1961, he was transferred to Hilton's International Division and successively ran the Continental Hilton in Mexico City, the Panama Hilton, and the Acapulco Hilton.

 But it was in 1966 when he made his definitive leap by associating himself with the Western International Hotels chain, now known as Westin Hotels & Resorts, and thus became General Manager of the Hotel Alameda in Mexico City.  In this firm he spent 24 years of his life.

 But his talent required greater challenges and in 1969 he was promoted to General Director of the fabulous Camino Real México and elected Director of the Chain of the same name.

 During the period that he was in charge of Camino Real México, Juan Berthelot received 65 heads of state, including Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, King Carlos XVI, Gustavo of Sweden, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Queen Noor of Jordan, the Shah of Iran, Presidents and Prime Ministers of Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

 In 1979 he was promoted to Vice President of Development for the same chain and in 1981 he was promoted to Executive Vice President for the Mexico Division.  In 1986 he was elected Vice President of Westin Hotels & Resorts and elected as director of Camino Real Hotels.  In 1988 he was elected CEO.

 During this last period, four hotels became members of the prestigious organization The Leading Hotels of the World: Camino Real México, Las Brisas in Acapulco, Las Hadas in Manzanillo and Camino Real-Cancún.  Three of these were rated 5 Diamond and one 4 Diamond by the A.A.A (American Automobile Association).

 His career in hospitality ended in 1990 with the distinction of being named CEO Emeritus, after 45 years of a brilliant career in the business.

 But his work in tourism did not end there, because that same year he associated with Aeroméxico and was appointed deputy general director;  months later he was appointed adviser to the presidency, a position he held until 2003. From then to date he works as an independent adviser for tourism and aviation.

 Among other of his achievements he was president of Club Skal Mexico City and also at the national level of Clubes Skal de México.

Adrian Guillermo Schjetnan Garduno  passed away unexpectedly on October 5, 2022, in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico, just a few days shy of his 67th birthday. He was born in Mexico City, Mexico on October 11, 1955, to Margarita Garduño and Mario Schjetnan Dantan. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Margarita, and is survived by his wife of 42 years, Trena of Mexico City, and his sons Christian (wife Florence) of

Mansfield, TX, and Paul of San Diego, CA. He is also survived by four siblings (Christian, Mario, Patricia, and Eduardo), their spouses, and immediate and extended families.
 

Adrian was a kind and caring husband as well as a dedicated father. His family was everything to him, but his sons occupied a special place, the light of his life. He mentored and had very close relationships with many nephews and nieces and as their own families grew, he was always there to be the best uncle for the next generation.
 

Born with a golf club in his hand, Adrian was a remarkable and accomplished junior and amateur player in Mexico where he honed his craft at the Mexico City Country Club (CCCM), a place that he always held near and dear to his heart - having served the Club in leadership roles as Captan, Board member, and Head of the Greens Committee. He was a fierce competitor on the golf course, especially in his favorite format, Match Play. He played in and won numerous tournaments over the years at the Junior, Amateur, and Senior Amateur levels, yet his favorite game was a family foursome with Trena, Christian, and Paul. He attended Rice University in Houston, TX on a golf scholarship and while there met Trena on a blind date and never looked back. He always credited her for being almost solely responsible for him getting through Rice's taxing academic curriculum and ultimately earning a degree in Business Administration in 1978.

Aside from golf, he was an avid follower and player of many sports, his favorites being soccer and tennis.
 

Adrian worked a full life in the tourism and hospitality industry. His specialties were sales and marketing and his 45 years in the business allowed him to travel throughout the Americas and Europe. He was a magnificent leader, networker, motivator, and public speaker. He impacted countless people in the industry and his absence will be felt.
 

Adrian was the lite of any room and carried an amazing disposition to do well by others, treat everyone fairly and kindly, and act honorably. That is how he would want everyone to remember him.
 

A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held in his honor at a forthcoming date. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in his name to his favorite cause: the nonprofit foundation that backs Colegio Lic. Justo Sierra Mendez in Mexico City, Mexico, an elementary school opened by CCCM members to serve the children of the club's employees at a minimal cost, thanks to the charitable efforts of the foundation, which Adrian and Trena have championed for years. The school has permanently renamed its annual golf tournament fundraiser "Torneo Adrian Schjetnan." Please contact Christian Schjetnan B. (schjety@gmail.com) for instructions on how to donate.

On Monday August 22, 2022 we lost David Richard Evans at Overlake Medical Center, he was 86 years old. He was known to many as “Papa”, “Evey” and his favorite, “The Grand Poopa”. David was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Bobbie Jean (2014) and is survived by sons Greg (Lynn), Chris (Susan) and Jeff; grandchildren Haeli Hagen (Carl), Tanner and Hannah and sister Vicie Evans.

David was born January 7, 1936 at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC to Alfred and Katherine Evans. In 1939, David and his family moved to West Vancouver where he attended Pauline Johnson Grade School and West Vancouver High School. In 1955, he graduated from West Vancouver High School and headed to Wenatchee Junior College. David was recruited by Don Coryell (former NFL San Diego Chargers Coach) to play football and was nominated Freshman Class President.

In 1956, David decided to head west to The University of Washington and continue playing football under Coach Jim Owens. During his time at the University he became a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity while majoring in Communications /Advertising and Public Relations. He was elected a Student Prominent during his senior year and his lifelong goal was to be a film director. After graduation from the University of Washington, David spent the summer of 1961 as an intern for King TV and in September of that same year, joined Seattle’s Olympic Hotel sales team where his hotel career was just beginning.

In the summer of 1961, David met his adoring and supportive wife, Bobbie Jean (Smith); they were married 53 years until her passing in February 2014. David often referred to her as the “Anchor of the Family” raising their three sons (Greg, Chris and Jeff) while he pursued his passions in the hotel industry. In 1964, Bobbie and Dave moved to Los Angeles, CA where he joined the Pre-opening Team for the Century Plaza Hotel. During this time the family grew with the addition of all three boys and in 1973 David was promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Westin Hotels. The Evans clan moved to Mercer Island, WA where they resided until July 2016 at which time he moved to a small cottage on Lake McDonald in Renton, WA.

David’s passion for the hotel business and hard work paid off as he continued to travel around the world and achieve great successes. During these years, Westin Hotels was sold to Starwood Hotels and Resorts and in 1998 he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Starwood Hotels. Although the Westin/Starwood Hotels headquarters moved to White Plains, NY in March 2000; David kept himself involved in the business by starting a consulting practice in 2004. During 2004 and 2012 he was retained by Pan Pacific Hotels and the Vulcan Corporation to build the Pan Pacific Luxury Hotel in South Lake Union.

In 1997, David was diagnosed with heart failure, which he kept just between family until 1999 when he realized his condition was worsening. On August 25th, 2000 he had a very successful heart transplant at the University of Washington Medical Center where he was blessed with 22 more amazing years with family and friends. The success of this procedure led David to become passionate about consolidating the cardiac services into one location. Together with the support of longtime friend Joanne Meyers, David co-chaired the “Open Heart Open” and in 2004 the vision became a reality when the Regional Heart Center opened on the main floor of the UW Medical Center.

Throughout his many years, David continued to be a supporter of local organizations in both the University of Washington Alumni Association as well as the hotel industry. He received accolades and awards in the industry that include: ASAE “Academy of Leaders Award”, PCMA “Distinguished Service Award”, “Professional Achievement Award” and the “Lifetime Achievement Award” and the US Chamber of Commerce “Chairman’s Award”. In September of 2020, with the help of Sue Allison Campbell, he fulfilled a lifelong dream started with his wife Bobbie. David wrote and published his book, Yield to the Power of Common Sense.

The family will have a private burial where David will be joining Bobbie at Hillside Cemetery in Issaquah, WA with a Celebration of Life to be held at a later date. At his request, any donations can be made to The University of Washington Medical Center, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and anything involving love and support of animals.