Bryan R. Brainard

Bryan R. Brainard, 59, of Downingtown, passed away on Friday, May 21, 2021 surrounded by love, stories and some of his favorite music. He was the beloved husband of Sandra N.(Hipp), with whom he shared 36 years of marriage and adventure.

Born in Painesville, Ohio, he was the son of Regena R. (Bates) and the late Jack F. Brainard. In addition to his wife and mother, Bryan is survived by his two children, Ashley E. Keller and her husband Dennis and Branden R. Brainard and his wife Madeline; a sister, Cynthia R. Andrews and her husband Edward T. and two nieces, Farren and Christy; and by a granddaughter, Amelia R. Keller.

Throughout his life, Bryan was always getting into something. Whether he was working on a potato farm, riding crazy horses that just wanted him off their back, going to the flower shop with his sister, driving teachers crazy with his friends, working as a machinist or a realtor, traveling or spending time with family; he was always busy. After moving to the Philadelphia area from Pittsburgh, Bryan met Sandie and they bought a house in Downingtown that made his mother cry. They cleaned it and fixed it up and in that house, they raised two awesome kids and traveled as much as they could. Bryan coached little league, attended wrestling meets, watched horseback riding, twirled cotton candy, trucked van loads of kids to fun places on Friday nights and was just generally the best dad anyone could ask for. He had lifelong friends that he spoke to and saw regularly. He would do anything for those he loved and even for those he didn’t even know. He picked up hitchhikers named Popcorn, took every dirt, four wheel drive access only roads he could find (without actually owning a vehicle that was meant for that) and loved to go fishing just for the fun of it. Bryan was larger than life, everybody knew him and enjoyed chatting with him about anything from real estate to the Eagles, to fishing, to politics, to food and travel. He was incredibly intelligent and could discuss just about any topic for hours on end, going down all sorts of rabbit holes along the way. Bryan is the one you called when you needed to get to work in a blizzard or when you had too much to drink to drive home. He’s the one you called to figure out what route to take on your next trip and the best places to grab a bite to eat along the way. As a realtor, he was not just trying to make money, he was trying to help his clients make a good choice and would often refuse to sell someone a home if he felt it wasn’t a good fit. Bryan was the best kind of person and we are all lucky to have had him in our lives. In reading all the beautiful words and tributes, it is clear how many lives he changed for the better. We will keep those memories alive. He will live on in our hearts and memories, in every ridiculous distance we drive to “hop over for dinner” when the restaurant is hours away, in every good deed we do, in every crack of thunder in a good storm. 

A gathering will be held on June 5th, 2021 at 4:30pm at Line It Up farm located at 375 Coffroath Road, Coatesville, PA. Please wear sneakers or boots as the visitation will be held in the indoor riding arena. Remember, this is to celebrate a man who attended million dollar deals in shorts and bare feet! **Masks are also required once you exit your vehicle and must be worn until you are back in your car. Bryan died of Covid and we do not want to risk anyone else being in our position**

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Neuroimmune Foundation.

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