I also remember stories about him messing with his grandpa Page's fake geese...now, he was certainly not the first to do this; Neal Page has always been quite particular about those fake geese around his pond -- even my mom has messed with them. They'd get rearranged to look like they were mating; there'd be round rocks piled underneath them to look like they'd laid eggs; but one time, Brandon kidnapped them, took a polaroid picture of them, and made a ransom note -- even cut out letters from a magazine and everything.
Brandon had the best sense of humor, and timing that would make Mel Brooks jealous. He had an infectious laugh, and never met a stranger -- when I say that everyone who ever knew him loved him, it's no hyperbole.
When Brandon was 14, he was driving a rig for his daddy and was forced off the road. The driver didn't even bother to stop. Brandon was pinned under the steering wheel and the truck caught fire. My Uncle Johnny, his father, tried to get him out but the door was jammed. He tried to put out the fire but the extinguisher was just no match. He tried to get people to help him pull his only son out of the burning truck but no one did. Brandon was burned so badly he lost both legs. He spent months and months in Memphis at the burn unit, but never complained. Coach Curry even came to see him -- and if there's one thing Brandon loved besides his family no matter what, it was his Crimson Tide. When Brandon finally came home, every tree in Red Bay had a yellow ribbon on it.
Being in a wheel chair didn't slow him down one bit...if anything, it made him convinced he could do anything he wanted. There's a story about him rolling his go-cart into the creek and him diving in to pull it out. Brandon found a way to do things his way no matter what anyone told him.
A few years ago, we were lucky enough to welcome his wife, Jada, into the family. She spoiled him ROTTEN! She constantly doted on him and loved on him, and she fit into our clan perfectly. I'm proud to call her family. The last time I saw Brandon was at our family reunion this year. Brandon and I were sitting at a table and Jada brought him a plate of food, and brought him a drink, and made sure he had everything he could want before she got any food for herself. I said to Brandon, "aww, isn't she such a good wifey, taking care of you like that." Brandon's response was, "yeah, I've got her trained up pretty good."
About six weeks ago, Brandon went into the hospital for some problems with his stomach. He ended up in the ICU and had to have several surgeries. His doctors did everything they could to save him, because after all he had been through, if anyone could make it, Brandon could. It breaks my heart to say that we lost him at 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 4, 2008. He left behind an adoring wife, Jada McKinney Berry, his mother and father, sister, and an extended family that loves and adores him -- not to mention the hundreds of friends he's collected throughout his 35 years with us.
Brandon's viewing was Friday night, and the line of visitors were around the building twice for a solid three hours. There wasn't an empty chair in the church for his funeral services. He was buried next to his pappaw Berry in the family plot in Halltown and the entire plot was blanketed in flowers...I don't think there was a flower to spare in Red Bay. You could landscape your front yard with all the potted plants. It was just a small symbol of how great a man Brandon was.
If I've learned anything from Brandon, it's that there's just no need to complain about the obstacles placed in your path. Just deal with it and make the best of the situation. It's hard to whine about something when you consider what he went through and never complained about it. I also learned that no matter how bad things might be, a sense of humor can really come in handy. It can help take a loved one's mind off of their loss -- laughter really can help to heal those wounds, if only just a little bit. So in Brandon's honor, Jada, my brother, Chris, and I thought it would be appropriate to pull one last prank to send him off in style. Brandon would be so proud to see a Caterpillar tag on his hearse...
I take heart in knowing that he's no longer in pain; no longer limited by anything; that he's with his Savior; and as Jada puts it, is watching the Tide play from the best seat in the house...and hopefully giving the coaching staff some divine inspiration...
We love you so much, Brandon -- you're irreplaceable. Thank you for blessing our lives. Roll Tide!
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