George was born May 8, 1924 to the late Ethel Middleton Brewster and George Howard Brewster in Boston, Massachusetts. He departed life Thursday, March 21, 2006.

George grew up on Hammond Street in Boston, Massachusetts where he attended and graduated from Sherwin Elementary School and English High School. As a young man, he was a Boy Scout and an Eagle Scout leader. He loved spending time with his grandmother, the late Mary Middleton who was Fannie Farmers' cook. His friends and family described him as an avid reader and a very friendly person.

America's involvement in World War II in the 1940's sent George along with a large number of young men into Military Service. George served in the US Army in 1943 where he participated in four major campaigns; Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe. He guarded military installations in Belgium and France; guarded stockades confining German POWs and participated in other duties at various other European bases. He received an honorable discharge in 1946.

After the war he worked for the BF Goodrich company in Watertown, Massachusetts until the firm moved to Ackron, Ohio. He joined the US Postal Service where he worked for 22 years, retiring in 1987. Throughout his life, his favorite past times included listening and dancing to music. He frequented Storyville and various other jazz clubs where he met several artists including the late Sarah Vaughn, Billy Holiday, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and others. He also listened to and frequented opera, classical, pop, soul, latin musical styles and performances.

George began his studies of the martial arts in the early 1950's when he joined the YMCA and the Boston Judo Club. While at "Y", he met Geo Gonis, a karate master who persuaded him to shift his focus from Judo to the study of Karate. George went on to study Okinawan Goju-Ryu and then Goju-Kia Karate and joined the Goju-Kai organization and achieved Karate master level. George and three martial arts colleagues founded the first Goju-Kia Karate school in Boston, Massachusetts. He taught at the YMCA, the Boys Club, Lena Park, the Berea School and various other locations around the Boston and New England areas.

In 1975 he was introduced to the Filipino Martial Arts by Amante P. Marinas, teacher of Arnis Lanada and Pnanandata. George later established the Boston Arnis Club, becoming its founder and Guro Grande.Under George's direction, the Boston Arnis Club is noted for its incorporation of several primary styles of arts from the Filipino and Japanese disciplines. He also became a full-fledged member of the elite Bakbakan International organization.

Another favorite past time of George was painting and drawing. He attended the Mass College of Art and the Boston Museum School and frequented various arts shows and galleries. In the passing of George Brewster, Bakbakan has not only lost a patron of the arts, but a cherished and good friend, whose encouragement, counsel, wisdom and warmth meant so much to us over the years. The world of martial arts has lost a pioneer and a leader who gave generously of his knowledge, labor and time. We shall all miss him.

His passing is a great blow to his colleagues and students, for whom his solid leadership bonded and inspired them. Those who knew him loved and admired him; the better they knew him the more they loved and respected him.

Goerge Brewster now rests in peace, but his noble spirit and legacy remains to comfort us. We shall forever treasure his memory and friendship deep in our hearts. It is but fitting that the book project "Guardians of the Legacy" be dedicated to his memory.

We will miss you dear friend.