Judge Brennan, 43, Dies After Long Illness

Michael W. Brennan, an El Cajon municipal judge who explained California’s approach to drinking and driving at the World Council of Judges’ 1983 Rome conference, died Sunday in El Cajon.

Brennan, who was 43, died after a yearlong illness.

Although he was born in Indianapolis, Brennan spent most of his youth in Europe, attending college in Paris and at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He returned to the United States and received a bachelor of arts degree in 1965 from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. He earned his law degree in 1973 from Western State Law School and became a member of the California Bar the same year.

Brennan was appointed to the bench in 1979 by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. Before his appointment, Brennan supervised the El Cajon law office of Defender’s Program of San Diego Inc.

He spent much of his time speaking to San Diego County schools about career opportunities in law. Brennan also taught classes in law at National University in San Diego.

He is survived by his wife, Elaine, and daughter, Kelley, of the home; his mother, Maxine Brennan, and his sister, Kay Gillespie, both of Muncie, Ind. A rosary will be said at 7 p.m. today at Carroll’s Mortuary. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in El Cajon.

The family requests that all contributions be sent to the American Cancer Society.