Roland James Brauer

Roland James Brauer, aged 88 of College Station, was called to be with his Lord on Monday, November 12, 2018. He was a beloved father, a devoted husband, and a quiet source of strength for his family and friends. Roland never met a stranger, loved unconditionally, and always saw the best in everyone around him. He was known to so many and will be missed by all.

Roland was born on Oct. 5, 1930 in Minot, North Dakota the 4th of 5 sons of Rev. Friederich Ernst and Wanda Laura (Reetz) Brauer. He graduated from Monango, North Dakota, High School in 1948. He attended North Dakota State Normal and Industrial College for one year. Roland wanted to join the Navy, but his parents discouraged him. In 1940 a one-room school outside Oakes, North Dakota needed a teacher. At age 18 Roland took a test to get certified as a teacher. He taught for one year and had ten students in one of the last one-room schools in the state.

In 1950 he hitch-hiked to Houston, Texas where he lived with his older brother, Fritz, a Lutheran School principal. He worked as a clerk for WR Smith & Company, an import-export company. He was then drafted into the Army anticipating going to Korea; instead, he spent 18 months as a personnel clerk in Salzburg, Austria as part of the Army of Occupation.

After his discharge he returned to college, obtaining a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston in 1962, following a two-year Clinical internship at Baylor College of Medicine.

He met his wife, Pinky (Louvenia) Horton, on a blind date with Pinky’s roommate. They were married May 31, 1959 at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Bellaire, Texas by his father, Rev. Fred Brauer. They had 3 sons, Michael, Mark and David.

Upon graduation he accepted the position of Chief Psychologist at the Corpus Christi Child Guidance Center. After several years, he opened his own clinical practice. He also was an adjunct professor at Del Mar College, becoming a full-time professor in 1979, but continued to maintain his clinical practice as well. He retired from teaching in 1997 and closed his practice in 2002. He was very active in his church and community serving on numerous boards and committees, including the Civil Service Board and Commission. He was a member of the Texas Early Childhood Committee that established the first curriculum for Early Childhood Education in Texas.

Psychologists were not licensed in Texas until 1970 and he held the 59th license issued by the state. He held membership in the American Group Psychotherapy Association, the American Academy of Psychotherapist and the council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.

Upon retiring, he and his wife moved to College Station to be closer to his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. He and Pinky were active in their church and community, volunteering at the College Station Medical Center, George H. W. Bush Library and Open Arms Respite Group. He sang in the church choir and was an usher. “Faith, family, & friends” was the motto he lived by every day.

Roland was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. and Mrs. Fred Brauer, brothers Paul, Fritz, and Don Brauer. He is survived by his loving wife, Pinky Brauer, brother Hank Brauer, sons Mike, Mark and David, daughters-in-law Angel, Judith, and Amie, and grand-children Kaley, Ryan, and Josh Brauer.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00pm Saturday, November 17th at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in College Station; visitation will be 5:00 – 7:00pm on Friday, November 16th at Hillier Funeral Home in College Station. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Holy Cross Building Fund.