Rest In Peace Brad

My dear brother passed away today, just a day after his 54th birthday.

If you asked anyone who knew Brad to describe him in one word, it would be kind. Brad was a big guy and rather tough looking, but he was the human version of Ferdinand the Bull. He had a big heart and not a mean bone in his body.

He was also funny. Brad’s wicked sense of humor made us laugh all the time.

All of this is remarkable for someone who had an extremely hard life. As a child, Brad likely had undiagnosed autism which made school and social interactions much harder. As an adult, he overcame drug and alcohol addiction. Brad also suffered from diabetes which led to multiple amputations and a cascading series of health problems which ultimately caused his death at such a young age.

Brad faced pain that few of us could ever understand. He was exceptionally brave. He was strong. But what I’ll remember forever is his kindness.