Brigitte Ilse Petruska

Brigitte Ilse Preikzas was born in Vagen, Germany. She grew up with her mother, Annelise and father, Heinz. Her mother was a homemaker and her father in fashion design after escaping World War 2.

She was a smart woman with much ambition. She loved to ski in the alps and travel the world with her friends. In 1979 Deutsche Bank transferred her to work in the international banking department in New York City. She met Scott Petruska, and they soon found out they were pregnant, with me, and moved to Singapore to head up that banking department. They lived there happily for years and finally Brigitte and Kelly moved to Pinch, West Virginia. At that point her life revolved around caring of Kelly for school, and her swimming career. She lived for her daughter.

She moved to South Carolina in the early 2000s and continued to work and adopt dogs. She had four dogs at one time. Once they passed Miss Mietze showed up. She raised this feral cat until her employment ended in Pawleys island and then relocated to Daniel Island to be close to Kelly. She lived until her diagnosis with several cancers. She was the strongest, bravest, most matter-of-fact woman in the world. After two rounds of over 70 radiations and 20 chemotherapies, her doctors gave her 6 months to live. We got a hospice service and together we went through the emotions. Good and bad, yelling and arguing, we were mother and daughter until the end. We would not have had it any other way.

She was the worldliest woman I have ever met. She was fiery, loyal, and strong until the end. I hope she knows my life was hers and hers mine. She may never know how much she was loved, but damn straight she was my other half. She is survived by daughter Kelly and miss Kitty and son in law Frank, grandson Nikolas Heinz, ex-husband Scott Petruska, and lots of friends and animals who miss her dearly. I know she is looking down right now wondering why all this hoopla is for her. She would have much rather had a white Russian and a cigarette.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at www.mcalister-smith.

Arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833.