MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Hyde-Smith

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO COMMEND BRUCE HOLMES BRADY, NATIONALLY-KNOWN ARTIST OF BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, Bruce Holmes Brady, a lifelong resident of Brookhaven, Mississippi, was born on June 28, 1934, to Tom P. Brady and Lavern Holmes Brady; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Brady was a 1953 graduate of the Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of Law; and

WHEREAS, known as an attorney, journalist, writer, outdoorsman, philanthropist, sculptor, husband, father and friend, he enriched the lives of many; and

WHEREAS, he practiced law for 10 years in Brookhaven before becoming an editor for Outdoor Life magazine in 1972; and

WHEREAS, he later penned a memoir of his outdoor experiences in his first book, Bruce Brady's Game Trails, an anthology of his published hunting articles; and

WHEREAS, an award-winning artist, Mr. Brady became a professional sculptor in 1983; his bronze works are in prestigious private and public art collections from coast to coast, including the private collections of President Ronald Reagan and Senator Bob Dole; his commissioned works include the Charlie Connerly Memorial Trophy on display at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, he was a Fellow in the American Artists Professional League and a member of the Allied Artists of America and the National Sculpture Society; and

WHEREAS, he was the 1994 Featured Sculptor of the Southeastern Wildlife Art Exposition; and

WHEREAS, he served on the advisory boards of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and Trustmark National Bank and was a trustee of the Mississippi Chapter of the Nature Conservancy; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Brady's conservation efforts earned him numerous honors and the respect of outdoorsmen nationwide; he was named Sportsman of the Year by the Shikar Safari Club International, Outdoor Communicator of the Year by the Mississippi Wildlife Federation, received the WLBT Spirit of Mississippi Award, and was inducted into the North American Sheep Hunters Association Grand Slam Club; and

WHEREAS, he received the President's Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Mississippi Wildlife Federation in gratitude for outstanding service and commitment to the conservation of Mississippi's natural resources; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Brady's philanthropic activities included both his talent and time as he donated works to Art for the Heart, UMC Candlelighters, the Diabetes Foundation and numerous other charities; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of his dedication to wildlife conservation, the Mississippi Wildlife Federation has created the Bruce Brady Catch-a-Dream Foundation to provide outdoor adventures for critically ill children; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Brady was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church of Brookhaven where he was a deacon and served as past chairman of deacons, a Sunday school teacher and encouraged the church's emphasis on mission work; and

WHEREAS, it is with deep sorrow that this Legislature extends its sympathy to his wife, Peggy Faires Brady, son, Bruce Brady, Jr., his daughters, Janie Brady Mooney and Becky Brady Taylor, his brother, Thomas Pickens Brady, Jr., as well as thirteen grandchildren and a host of friends on the passing of a man who has been a source of inspiration and encouragement to all whose lives he touched, and who did honor to his beloved Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the life of Bruce Holmes Brady, and extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to Mrs. Brady and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.