THOMASTON — Brigitte Johanne Robinson, 61, died peacefully June 11, 2015, in hospice care at the Sussman House in Rockport. Born March 3, 1954, in Bremerhaven, Germany, she was the daughter of Gerhard Willi Alfred and Johanne Helene (Meyer) Schwartze. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1985 as Brigitte Johanne Gauthier.

In her youth in Germany, she was a young divorced mother and was employed in an electronic data processing role in the early days of IBM computers. She was trained in magnetic data recording and was known for her intelligence, her quiet character and friendly attitude. She also provided many years of faithful service to the U.S. Army and National Guard, from which she had only recently retired in 2014 and remained a member of the Ladies Auxiliary until her death. During her military service, she received many awards for her skills and aptitude in cartography and other technical accomplishments.

Brigitte lived in Camden, where she worked in the hospitality and transportation industries for several years.

Brigitte was a devoted lover of animals and was well known in the animal rescue community. In recent years, she was familiar around town for her presence accompanied by her great Dane, Mojo. Friends and neighbors will miss their regular chats on the wooded paths and quiet streets where she and Mojo liked to hike and stroll together. Traveling in her van with Mojo's head sticking out of the passenger seat window, ears flying in the wind, always brought a smile.

Survivors include her daughter, Sonja Kerner; and her grandsons, Simon and Nils Kerner, all of Germany; her devoted animal companions, Mojo and Tom; as well as longtime friends and family, including Roger Gauthier, Pauline Levesque and Denise Sullivan.

A military service will be held at Friday, Sept. 18 at noon at the Maine Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mount Vernon Rd. in Augusta.

Memorial gifts may be made to P.A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center, P.O. Box 707, Rockport, ME 04856.