My husband, Al, was a casual colleague of Brian’s through their mutual work with Lincoln Financial Advisors. I only had the pleasure of meeting Brian once, but I will always remember the significance of that encounter.
Our son, Jared, was two weeks from graduation from James Madison University when he was killed in a car accident in 2002. As is happening now, many caring friends came together to hold a golf tournament in Jared’s honor. Brian, being a staunch JMU alum and the liaison for the Baltimore area, heard of the tournament and immediately contacted Al to lend his support. On the day of the tournament, I saw some guy approaching the registration table carrying a HUGE box – it was Brian! He had contacted JMU and gotten many, many JMU products, from jackets to tee shirts to engraved beer glasses, which we could add to the raffle table. Everything he brought was a hit with the golfers! As parents, you never want your child to be forgotten. I will never forget how much it meant to us that JMU would care enough about Jared and his memory to contribute so generously to the tournament. Obviously, this occurred because Brian cared about a grieving family and wanted to do something to ease their burden. How gratifying it was to us then, and again now, to be able to share this story with his family and friends.
Story submitted by Betsy Neville