Remembering Brad

Written on January 4, 2017

Ron made two requests when he asked us to speak today — keep it clean and keep it (relatively) brief. Fingers crossed! There are three themes that come to mind as I remember Brad.

The first theme is THE STAGE. It's been over 25 years since I sat in the audience of the Newman Smith high school production of Barnum. I was a sophomore with little theatre experience but we were there to support Brad on stage and Leslie as part of the tech team. I can still hear the familiar tune in my head "There is a sucker born every minute." At the conclusion of the show, Brad and the actors took their bows while balloons dropped from the ceiling. I was so impressed by the performance that I told myself "I want to be a part of this!" and spent the next two years in theatre tech building memories for a lifetime. Brad always knew how to put on a good show.

Fast forward a few years and the second theme won't surprise anyone that knew Brad: MISCHIEF. Brad and I roomed together my first year of college at Harding University. We were normal college kids experiencing new freedoms along with new responsibilities. And there were plenty of shenanigans too. The mischief took many forms but a particular episode played out on several occasions. Typically I'd have just laid down in bed sometime well after midnight and Brad would leave the dorm room. The ensuing intervals varied but inevitably I would hear a loud scream or thud followed by the sound of Brad sprinting back into our dorm room, giggling and slamming the door shut as quickly as possible. He was in such a rush to close the door because the annoyed subject of his joke was usually waiting on the other side. This routine targeted several of our dorm mates including our mutual friend from high school, Brent Bates. Brent, if you are here today, I am really sorry. During many of those late nights, as Brad came flying back into the room I humorously thought to myself "I'm not sure I want any part of this!" But that was classic Brad. Always up for a laugh!

The last theme requires a little background. My family moved to Carrollton in the summer of 1989 just before my eighth grade year. I was 13 and the oldest of five boys. In a handful of years leading up to the move, we experienced the divorce of our closest grandparents, the divorce of our parents, my mother's return to work where she met our stepdad, their marriage and a subsequent relocation from Indiana to Texas. Nestled in the middle of these changes, I had a nervous breakdown and later learned that I was temporarily placed on suicide watch. Needless to say it required a huge leap of faith to leave all my childhood friends behind and start over in Texas. And this is where I am certain that God was at work.

In addition to my immediate family, I am convinced that the best thing that happened to me in those pivotal years was the Webb Chapel youth group. I don't remember how we ended up at Webb Chapel but we were embraced by numerous families and the Dunns were at the top of the list. If we could have turned our youth group lives into a popular TV show of the time, Brad and Leslie Dunn were clearly the Brandon and Brenda Walsh of the story. They were the coolest kids with the sporty cars and the hippest parents. And yet the entire Dunn family always had time for me.

Leslie has been like a sister to me since as far back as I can remember --- always there to chat, hang out or pull the occasional prank. Patti always made sure I never went hungry and never got too far out of line. Ron took us to more Ranger games than I can count, suited up with us on the softball field, schooled us in ping pong and singlehandedly broke my habit of starting sentences with the word "like".

And then there was Brad.

The last theme I think about is FAMILY because Brad was like an older brother to me during the years when I needed it most. We theater-ed, played sports, mission tripped, Wilderness Trekked, summer camp counseled, snow skied, devo-ed, carpooled, dorm roomed, skipped chapel, hung out and, yes, occasionally teased the girls — together.

I could run down a list of great Brad stories but I found an anonymous quote that sums things up perfectly:

"Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what."

That is what I remember most about Brad. He would do anything to see you smile and he was there for you no matter what.

Brad was called home a little sooner than most of us expected. I wish we had more time together. But whether it was moments on stage, hanging out or just feeling him squeeze our hands in the hospital, there is one thing I keep telling myself about Brad's life: "I am so incredibly grateful that I got to be a part of it!"

We love you Brad and we're gonna miss you. Take it easy on the angels — I hear they're pretty good pranksters too.