IN MEMORIUM—Part II

Blog 53

Today, I am posting the obituary of Guy Bragg. Someone recently told me that he had asked Guy about using Guy rather than Tom. Guy replied that the name appeared to offer some advantage when talking with T. Guy. Who can refute it?

Thomas Guy Bragg

Guy was born on December 19, 1936 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Lt. Col. Thomas Bragg II and Freda Bragg. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Arkansas in pre-medicine and graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with a medical degree in the field of neurosurgery. He completed his residency at the Baylor College of Medicine in Waco, Texas and Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Guy started his practice in Harlingen, Texas with his wife Elizabeth Finney Bragg and they had three children. Guy retired from the practice of Neurosurgery in Austin, Texas in 2006.

Guy is survived by children, Thomas Guy Bragg IV and wife Kristen Couch Bragg, William Finney Bragg and wife Tricia Tottenham Bragg, and by Catherine Bragg McConnell and her husband Stokes McConnell; his sister Kay Farmer; grandchildren, Thomas Guy Bragg V, Stokes O’Neal McConnell, Kathryn Louise Bragg, William Tanner Bragg, Hudson Bragg McConnell, Oliver Green McConnell and Miller Tottenham Bragg. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Guy will be remembered as a top neurosurgeon, having presided as President of the Texas Association of Neurological Surgeons from 1986-1987. Guy will also be remembered as a top breeder of Charolais cattle in Texas as owner/operator of Bragg Land & Cattle Co. He also loved bird hunting and chasing redfish and trout along his beloved Lower Laguna Madre in South Texas with his family.

Private family memorial services will be held.

Obituary and memorial guestbook available online at www.wcfish.com

My father:
Growing up, I recall that my father had a standard blessing he would offer at mealtimes. It started out “In humility our father” and went on and on. Recently, I came across that blessing he had written down as I was once more sorting through old files. It comes to me now that I should be saying, “in humility I come to you to offer a gigantic thank you for the kind words you have been lavishing on me, directly or in the blog.

Sending out the emails with information and doing this blog is not part of an ego trip for me. I do enjoy your thanks, but even without them, I would keep you posted as long as I thought people were paying attention. Retired and somewhat computer capable, I have the time.

The response to the notes posted on the speaker has been enormous. After first posting, there were 118 view and 119 the next day, compared to 20-30 prior. Some of those may have been repeat trips because I unintentionally post the comments more than once.

So thank you for your kind comments.

Shades of Mattie Sharp Brewer:
You may have noticed some italicized words in the second paragraph. One thing I learned over the years in business, and something I always told my sales staff is never speak or write in the conditional tense. It weakens what you are saying. I break my rule occasionally as you can note above.