Dr. Eugene Brady

1933 - 2012

Dr. Eugene Brady

Perry

Dr. Eugene (Gene) Brady age 79, of Perry died on Friday, March 9, 2012 at Dallas County Hospital in Perry. Funeral services will be held Tuesday March 13, 2012, at 1 p.m. at Perry High School Performing Arts Center in Perry. Visitation will be Monday, March 12, 2012 from 1 to 9 p.m. with family present from 5 to 8 p.m. at Carris Family Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry. Memorials may be given to the family for the Dr. Eugene Brady Scholarship Fund and may be left at the Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent at www.carrisfuneralhome.com.

Dr. Eugene (Gene) Brady was born on January 9, 1933, in Ruthven, IA, the son of Iona (Whitford) and Harley Brady. Gene and his older brother Harold graduated from Ruthven High School where Gene was a catcher on the varsity baseball team, which reached the state tournament for the first time in school history in 1951. After high school, Gene attended Morningside College, later transferring to Grinnell College where he received a B.A. in Biology. Gene worked for DeKalb Agriculture for two years in their poultry research department (DeKalb, IL). After leaving DeKalb, Gene attended Buena Vista and achieved his teaching certificate. After becoming certified to teach, Gene moved to Thompson, IA, teaching biology and math for two years. It was in Thompson where Gene met his devoted wife of 51 years, Marilyn (Reines) Brady.

Gene was honored with a National Science Foundation Grant and the newlyweds moved to Cedar Falls where Gene received his Master's in Education from Iowa Teachers College (UNI). Following graduation, they moved to Perry in 1961 where Gene began teaching biology. It was in Perry where Gene and Marilyn raised their two daughters, Maribeth and Colleen. Gene continued his pursuits of higher education and received a PhD in Education Administration from Iowa State University. In 1975, Dr. Brady became the high school principal at Perry High School, a position he held until his retirement in 1997. He spent a total of 36 years with the Perry Community School District. He was also honored as a recipient of the Iowa School Administrator Award in 1996 for his support and service to Iowa High School Athletics.

Gene had a genuine affection for the outdoors spending many summers camping, traveling to the Rocky Mountains, bird watching, searching for wildlife, and hunting for plants and flowers. Gene and Marilyn loved baseball spending many summers watching his grandchildren's games and rooting for his beloved Chicago Cubs. Gene and Marilyn attended the Presbyterian Church in Perry where he served as an elder and member for many years.

Gene was a gentle soul. He never met a stranger and was perfectly fine sitting down and having a conversation with you about any subject. His family will miss him dearly as he was a compassionate, kind-hearted, gentle, and loving father and husband. He exhibited a passion for learning and always encouraged others around him to pursue the same. He was a member of Kiwanis, ISEA, Elks, and the Masonic Lodge. The community of Perry and the Perry Community Schools honored Gene by putting his name on the new Library at the Perry High School.

Gene is survived by his wife, Marilyn (Reines) Brady, and two daughters Maribeth Wright (Bill) of Norwalk, IA, and Colleen Nolting (Jeff) of Spokane, WA; five grandchildren, Grant Wright, Jackson Wright, Kennedi Wright, Hayden Nolting, and Aaron Nolting, and many nieces and nephews. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Iona and Harley Brady, and his brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Harriet Brady.