Inara (Mencis) Brubaker, 81, died at 8:35 p.m. on July 2, 2019, at the Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton, Ohio, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
She was born in Riga, Latvia, on May 1, 1938, to the late Arnolds and Herta (Stebers) Mencis.
She was preceded in death by her daughters, Erika J. Brubaker and Andra E. Brubaker, in 1993.
Inara emigrated to the United States when she was 12 years old, and graduated from Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio. She retired in 2002 from the UOP/AlliedSignal (now Honeywell International) Research Center.
From 1996-2002, she was a senior research associate with UOP; from 1988 to 1996, she was project leader and research manager at AlliedSignal.
Her work was in applied research in analytical chemistry and separations, and in materials properties and recycling. She co-authored two dozen publications on separations, separation processes and analytical methodologies as well as co-authored three U.S. patents.
In 2003, Brubaker was honored by the American Chemical Society Chicago Section for her pioneering work. Brubaker is a Lifetime Member of the Ohio Northern University Henry Solomon Lehr Society, where she served as a volunteer, was an avid supporter of the chemistry department, and established a scholarship in chemistry in memory of her daughters.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in chemistry and mathematics from Ohio Northern University and her Master of Science and Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Ohio State University.
In 2016, she received an honorary doctorate and in 2009 a Distinguished Alumni Award from Ohio Northern University. Inara served as a trustee on the Bluffton Public Library Board and was a member of Ada First United Methodist Church.
A private graveside service will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery in Ada.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Ohio Northern University, Brubaker Scholarship, 525 S. Main Street, Ada, OH 45810.
