Miki Brett started life in Toledo, Ohio as Clara Belle Margaret Frybarger, but by the time

she was a young girl her fellow stick-ball players had named her Mickey after the title of

a popular song. She has been known as Miki ever since, though the spelling has

evolved over time.

When she was a teenager during World War II, she was always whistling and was

offered a radio tour as a professional whistler. She also played in a women's baseball

league. Her brother Raymond, USMC, was killed at the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.

She honored him by having his Marine dress slacks tailored to fit her. She was the only

gal working at the Toledo Blade newspaper who wore pants every day.

In the course of her nearly 97 years, she lived all over Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Florida,

California, and lastly, Utah. She proudly declared that she'd lived in 28 different places

during her life. She was married three times: first to Jack Hobbs, then to John T.

Zaccheo and lastly, for 40 years to Ed D. Brett. She had four children: Robin Wiley,

Randy Hobbs, Michael Zaccheo and Laura Zaccheo.

Miki loved art, literature, and ideas. Her interests were many and varied. In different

turns, she was an expert cross-stitch artist, an astrologer, a car hop, a dog trainer, an

early vegetarian, a voracious reader, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a

friend to everyone she met. She was a people person–she would know someone's life

story after a single meeting.

She believed that truth is beauty and in spite of many trials and tribulations, she

remained an optimist all her life. She discovered Basenji dogs in her 40's and wherever

she lived people would know her as the fast walker with the interesting barkless dog. As

her good friend and neighbor for the last 11 years said: "Miki brought pizzazz to our

neighborhood." She really and truly did.