Michael George Kelly Brennan:  Our dearly beloved son and brother, Michael George Kelly Brennan, 33, died July 7, 2016.  He was born July 10, 1982, in Englewood, Colorado, the son of Thomas Joseph Brennan and Victoria Ann (nee Lipscomb) Brennan. As a young boy Michael travelled the world with his parents and younger sister Allison, visiting over 35 countries and five continents.  He lived in Saudi Arabia and Poland for seven years and attended the International School of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the American School of Warsaw, Poland.  Upon returning to the states he graduated from Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia and from Shepherd University with a BA in American Civil War History and a Minor in English.  Michael was an avid supporter of Civil War preservation and participated in Civil War reenactments and living history demonstrations throughout Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania as a drummer and fifer when he was younger and as an infantryman later.  He appears in the Manassas National Battlefield Visitors Center movie, “End of Innocence,” as Sargent Henry Ritter. 

Michael had diverse and deep interests in the outdoors, music, archaeology, sports, and books.  He was a master fly fisherman having taught himself to tie flies when he was eight years old.  He was an accomplished scuba diver and explored Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River while serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Drum, New York.  He was an expert snow skier, ski instructor, member of the ski patrol, and a rock climber. An active Boy Scout, he attained the rank of Life Scout.  He loved his English Shepherd dog, Sherman.  He was a musician and played ten instruments, drums, fife, bugle, sax, guitar, piano, banjo, tin whistle, euphonium, and trumpet.  He had a voracious appetite for reading and history and acquired an extensive collection of books on the American Civil War and of American Civil War artifacts.             

At the time of his death he was working as an Intelligence Analyst for DIA.  Michael spent two years in Iraq serving as an Army Consultant in the field of Biotechnology.  After returning he joined the US Army serving for three years in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York.  He completed active duty in 2013, and joined a Reserve Unit at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Michael is survived by his parents Thomas and Vicki Brennan of Annandale; his sister Allison A. C. Brennan of Washington, D.C. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents Roy Cullen Lipscomb and Ardith Ann (nee Collins) Lipscomb and paternal grandparents George Francis Brennan and Patricia Marguerite (Sheahan) Brennan.  He also leaves his aunts, Amy Lipscomb Bauer (Jay), Margaret Lipscomb Oman, Lizbeth Lipscomb Wikoff (David), Catherine Brennan Konrath (James) and cousins, Trista Bauer Jorges (Dean), Sarah Bauer Ruiz (Gabriel),  Katie Oman Vanis (Jason), Laura Wass (James), Heather Wikoff, Brad Konrath, Brian Konrath (Barclay), and Kevin Konrath.

Michael’s funeral will be Friday, May 5, 2017, at 2:45 PM at the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel followed by a graveside service at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donations to the Civil War Trust in Memory of Michael G. K. Brennan, either through a check or at this link: 

https://secure3.convio.net/cwpt/site/Donation2?idb=1200828855&df_id=6381&mfc_pref=T&6381.donation=form1

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