Theodore Arthur Brett

The world is less warm and less funny now, as we mourn the passing of Theodore Arthur Brett. Ted, who was dear to all who knew him, passed away on June 1, 2026 due to Alzheimer's disease, at Silverado Belmont Hills Memory Care Community in Belmont, CA. Born in New York City on July 2, 1947 to Dr. Wilbur Blum Brett and Bernice Nita (Schiff) Brett, Ted lived his life with curiosity, kindness, wisdom and enthusiasm. Most of all, he lived it with a boundless dedication to jokes and puns that produced laughs and groans in equal measure amongst his family and friends.

Though Ted was born in New York, he was a citizen of the world, loving nothing more than traveling to exciting places. By the time of his death, he had visited over 30 countries and lived for brief intervals in both France and Saudi Arabia. His favorite places to be were in the halls and galleries of the world's great art museums and he carried over that spirit of exploration and inquiry into his teaching career. Ted was a passionate educator, teaching English first at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and then for decades at both Gavilan College in Gilroy and Evergreen Valley College in San Jose. He believed deeply in the importance of education and the power of words and passed those beliefs on to countless numbers of students.

A graduate of Mount Hermon School in Gil, MA (1965), Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH (1969) and John Carroll University in Cleveland (1973), Ted leaves behind him his beloved wife, Jeannie Castillo; daughter Page (Brett) Pavelich; son-in-law George Daniel (Dan) Pavelich; son Jeremy Wil Brett; grandchildren Brett Daniel Pavelich and Lily Taylor Pavelich; brother Samuel Harvey Brett; sister-in-law Jill Roberta (Warren) Brett; sister Erika Amy (Brett) Going; brother-in-law Bruce Going; and nieces Jamie (Michael) Friedman, Wendy Brett Webber, Lindy (Jay) Johnson and Elizabeth (Mark) Hall. But beyond that, he leaves behind a cherished legacy of friendship, love and laughter that will remain with those who loved him as long as memory lasts.

To quote one of Ted's favorite authors, James Joyce, Ted "lived and laughed and loved and left". For him, that was exactly the life he wanted to live. A private celebration of life and the scattering of ashes will be held by the family at a later date.

In remembrance of Ted, donations to Alzheimer's Association, at donorservices.alz.org, are welcome.

Published in Gilroy Dispatch · June 18, 2026