Dr. Jeffrey Scot Brzostek

Dr. Jeffrey Scot Brzostek was born on June 14, 1965, and with June 14 being Flag Day, Jeff always believed he was being celebrated with flags flying in his honor. Until the age of 11, he was raised in Chicago by his grandparents, who he called Gram and Pa. He then relocated to Lakewood, Colorado, to live with his mother Janice, his stepfather Marlin (who he referred to as “Dad”), and their daughter Marla. As a teenager, Jeff embraced his passions, playing baseball, capturing life through photography, learning to play guitar, and developing a lifelong devotion to the Dallas Cowboys. While attending the University of Denver for his bachelor's degree in psychology, he became a proud member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, played football, restored a classic 1965 Mustang, and worked for Berry Fey at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, getting to promote musical acts such as his favorite band - Black Sabbath. An important date for Jeff was July 25, 1990, the day he got sober. He often said, “Without sobriety, I would have nothing.” In fact, his clinical work in psychology would focus on substance abuse and addiction, a field in which he was classified as an expert. Jeff loved learning. In fact, his parents often joked that he would attend school forever. He got his masters in psychology at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Jeff’s grandparents told him that he needed to be doctor or a lawyer, and he made that decision, with a twist, becoming a doctor in psychology. In the Spring of 2000, he got his Ph.D. at Pacific Graduate School of Psychology in Palo Alto, CA. While onstage at his graduation, he proposed to Lynn. Jeff had met his future wife Lynn, while they worked at a San Francisco bay area hospital, where they both served people of all ages with mental health needs. While mainly in California, where Jeff completed his degrees, Jeff also spent two years in Wyoming for his residency, where he learned he didn’t want to be without Lynn. They were married September 23, 2001, at Addison Oaks, MI. Their daughter Adie was born in 2004, in the bay area. And their daughter Faith was born in 2007, in Michigan, just before the family moved to Austin, TX. He worked as a psychologist at the VA Medical Center in Temple, TX. His work at the VA centered on substance abuse, where he helped develop national programs, led special projects, was published, and won awards. He was passionate about his work and was most proud when he received accolades from patients. While he had some symptoms during college, it wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that he was diagnosed with MS. This would be a lifelong challenge, for him and his loved ones, and ultimately contributed to his death coming sooner in life. His perseverance to continue working and providing for his family despite the difficulties was truly remarkable. Something people commented on for years. Jeff passed away on October 22, 2024, at age 59. He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Ethel (Gram) and Sam (Pa), as well as his mother Janice, and his stepfather Marlin. He is survived by his sister Marla, her husband Jason, and their kids Ryan and Cassidy. He is survived by his wife Lynn, and their children Adie and Faith. When Jeff thought about his life, he most valued his sobriety, his family, and his work at the VA. He was proud of his Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity. He was romantic, loved planning travel excursions with Lynn early in their relationship, loved to get her gifts, and sappy Hallmark cards. He loved Faith’s dog Cider. He loved playing UNO with Faith, and enjoyed seeing/hearing about Adie playing competitive volleyball. He and Faith shared an interest in high end fashion designers and poorly made horror films. He was drawn to WWII stories and enjoyed talking history with Adie. He watched Titanic many times, always waiting for a different ending. He was sentimental about 1980’s music, loved watching music videos with Faith, and loved talking with Adie about new music. Jeff always cared about his daughters pursuing a great education, championing their rights to be authors of their own story. He was so proud of them. Jeff’s legacy will be in the spirit of passion and perseverance that he applied to his sober living, his interaction and investment into his family, and his work's impact on a community of survivors of addiction. In lieu of Flowers, if you are interested in making a donation in Jeff's memory, we ask that you consider donations towards the ASPCA.

Dr. Jeffrey Scot Brzostek

June 14, 1965 - October 22, 2024