Thaddeus Brys

Thaddeus Brys, cellist, educator, and a longtime resident of Baton Rouge, died at his home on Tuesday morning of acute myelogenous leukemia. At his bedside were his wife of 50 years, Susan Brys, and children, Valerie Kilpatrick of Marietta, Ga., and Thaddeus Brys Jr., of Long Beach Calif. Thaddeus Brys was a native New Yorker who played the cello from boyhood. He received his education at the Mannes and Juilliard Schools of Music in New York City, and studied with the legendary cellist Pablo Casals in Prades, France. He was soloist with the Little Orchestra Society of New York, gave recitals at Town Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall and The Kosciusko Foundation in New York. Throughout his career he performed as soloist with orchestras in the South. He was an active recitalist in much of the United States, giving concerts also in Europe, South America, Canada, and Mexico. For 25 years Brys was professor of cello and chamber music at LSU, where he also taught string bass for some years as well as music history. He was also conductor for 10 years of the LSU Summer Symphony. Thaddeus Brys was a lover of ideas, often immersing himself in the philosophical and religious works of Spinoza and Thomas Merton. He delighted in poker, politics and baseball. He adored his grandchildren, Jimmy, Katherine, Charlie and Mary Kilpatrick, and his newest granddaughter, Sofia Brys. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Waleria Brys. In addition to his wife, children and grandchildren, he is survived by his sisters, Jeanette Toth and Sophia Gajewski; by his brother, Z. Theodore Brys; four nephews, a niece, along with great-nieces and great-nephews. Also at his bedside were dearly loved dogs, Jacob and Isaac, and cat, Sumi. There will be a memorial service at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, 8470 Goodwood Blvd., on Saturday, June 30, at 4 p.m., with visiting from 3 p.m. Burial-at-sea in the Atlantic Ocean is arranged for the following week. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the LSU Foundation in memory of Thaddeus Brys, or to the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge.