Remembering Roger Brady by Bonnie Geilfuss '68
Roger Brady. It was over 30 years ago since last seeing/knowing
Roger but I will never forget him nor things about him..
He and a number of others were part of the families evacuated
from Vietnam. He and Peppy Doggett entered the classroom I was in,
and ISB became alive for me.
I think I was one of the first of our class to get to know Roger.
A spark of interest crossed between us in that classroom and I'm
glad he pursued it. He was full of life, confident, fun, attentive
and caring….but all guy, winner of the Golden Gloves title in the
US, tough guy, liked by most.
I think back and feel really fortunate to have had some time to
really get to know Roger.
Roger wasn't there our senior year, Sept. '67 - June '68 and
he was missed. Many, many years later, just when I was starting
to find some of my ISB friends, I learned in 1992 that he was killed
the year prior in an auto accident. Its so hard to accept the loss
of departed classmates. My ISB years had been 30 years prior, and
yet they are more a part of me than so many of the years I have
spent in the States since returning. My ISB classmates/peers are
very dear to me. Roger and I remained good friends, even after we
stopped seeing each other. He never stopped looking out for me.
He was always there for his friends. A memory of such a time happened
in '67. We were all down at Barbo's in Pattaya and I had had a drink
or so. Roger and Marybeth came to my rescue. Roger came up and took
me away from whoever I was with, saving me from my clouded judgment.
He knew me and knew I was not being myself and not totally in control
of my actions. He and Marybeth escorted me out of Barbos and back
to where I was staying. As I'm sure many of his friends would attest
to, Roger was there for you at the times when you needed him. I
miss you Roger and I am so sorry we didn't have the opportunity
to reconnect through our wonderful ISB Network that so many of our
classmates have put so much of their time/money/energy into to make
so great.
The picture of Roger in the stance is a picture he gave me when
we first started seeing each other. It was taken in Saigon prior
to their evacuation.
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