NOTICE

Feb 19, 2026

News has reached us from Debbi Brainard, that her husband Paul passed away peacefully last Sunday in Seattle. The Glenorchy Community Trust extends their heartfelt sympathy to Debbi and remembers Paul’s philanthropy, his commitment to sustainability and his lifelong engagement with technology that could help the world. Paul was a quiet, considerate and engaged member of this community when he was here. He listened and reacted gently with all those he met either at special functions or around the Headwaters and Mrs Woolly’s.

Before his time in Glenorchy Paul had a huge influence on the development of technologies that many of us use today. His life’s work and his philanthropy before his work here was remarkable.

Paul and Debbi wanted to contribute to the community. The Headwaters and Mrs Woolly’s were designed with meeting a need in the community and sharing the profits from the business with everyone at the head of the lake. Despite his long battle with Parkinsons he continued to take a strong interest in what the trust was doing and how it was meeting the needs of this community. During the early years of the trust Paul and Debbi have seeded the trust from their own funds with $140,000.00. This has been instrumental in supporting local initiatives in the community. This year we will have the first distribution from the business so his vision was reached before his death.

Trust members join me and many members of the community in acknowledging his generosity, his vision and strength of character as he faced his own life challenges. We send our sympathy to Debbi and look forward welcoming her back to Glenorchy.

Nga mihi nui

Paul Ferris

Chair.

NOTICE

Leave a comment