RIP Thomas Alexander Brantley

Just thought I'd pass this along, guys:

Ken -

I wanted to thank you for your support recently, and ask you to pass my thanks along to the people at Patriots Planet. Could you post this? Thanks.

Hi, Planet.
You all don't know me, but I'm Shannon Finneran, girlfriend of "Oedipus Tex." When "Flagg" first told me that he posted the news here, I was a little pissed off. But tonight I went to look at the thread, and seeing all of your reactions to Tom's death really did me some good.
Sometimes, each of us is in our own little world, and we forget how much of an effect each of us has on everyone around us, no matter how minor our contact seems to be.

It's been almost two weeks now, and I'm still struggling to make sense of this. I understand that Tom was sick, and suffering, but he had a successful business that many his age would have killed to have, parents who loved him, and my family absolutely adored him. I know you all know the history between Tom, Erin, and myself. Ask yourself how many fathers that you know would love and accept a daughter's (daughters'? forgive my grammar, Tom) boyfriend who did this. (To be fair, I had more than a little hand in that, as you all know.)

Tom was an amazing person. He had the gift that few have of talking to people on their own level without ever talking down to them. I was with him when he absolutely skewered a guy who was bragging about mensa membership...but after putting the guy firmly in his place, they left as friends. You know the saying "It's not what you say, but how you say it?" Tom had the gift of making people laugh at themselves, and appreciate him for pointing it out. He used it beautifully in his business - picture that he had been running a business in international trade consulting since before his 25th birthday! To do that, you need to make people trust you, and know that you have something valuable to contribute.

But mostly, he loved people. I never knew him to put himself above another person - whether the person was a close friend or a stranger. When he drove, he was the guy that slowed down to let people in ahead of him. One time on a date, he gave up our reservations to a couple behind us who he overheard stressing about making a movie after dinner.

It may have been this that ate him up more than anything. He forever put himself second. He had a good deal of survivor guilt from Thailand. People say that suicide is selfish, and I understand that (boy do I understand that...) But from his perspective he could never give enough, he could never help enough. Hell, he felt guilty of the time he spent here.

Look, Tom was no saint. If it wasn't for his well-developed conscience, he would have been a womanizer without peer. He wanted to please people so badly that he tended to hide unpleasant truths (in his personal life, not his business life) until he was boxed into a corner. When he was down, he tended to miss appointments, deadlines, dates...even days. And then he scrambled like hell to fix everything just before it all was totally lost.

His depression was an eye opener for me. When he was dating Erin, she once came out of work to find him asleep in the back of her car in his boxers. He said he'd been there for about six hours. In the end, he lived his life with his emotions on his sleeve. I'm not suprised there was no note - none was needed.

I do know that he had fun here and thought very highly of both the general level of intelligence and thoughtfulness (in terms of thinking things through) of the people on this board. I appreciate your kind words during this difficult time. I am sorry for all of you that only knew Tom as Tex. You missed more than you can ever know.

Thank you, and be good to yourselves.
Shannon.
 
Flagg Wanderer said:
Tom was an amazing person.

Thank you, and be good to yourselves.
Shannon.

It sounds like Tom/Oed was as cool a guy in real life as he was on the 'Net. That's not too surprising to Annihilus. His personality shined through his words here and will be missed. Many of us were truly distressed when we heard about his going missing in Thailand and this news obviously hits us that much harder.

Thanks for posting that Flagg.
 
Thanks Shannon for taking the time to share some of your thoughts with us. I'm really sorry for your loss.
________
starcraft replays
 
This news is so sad. May he rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers will be with him and his family. Thanks so much for posting this..
 
For the most part, the majority of us around here have never met, yet spending day in and day out chatting with each other, arguing, laughing, and sharing thoughts, there is a small relationship that is formed. You get a chance to know people, or at least the side that they let you see. And while Tom obviously had problems we around here were unaware of, Tex was the source of many laughs and memorable discussions. His wit and humor were truly unique, and will be missed, but definitely not forgotten. How many of us can keep ourselves from laughing anytime owls or sisters are mentioned? I doubt many.

I pray he has found peace and I pray for all his family, friends, and loved ones. May they find strength and comfort.
 
Wow! I'm really speechless. I don't know what to say except that I am deeply sorry for your loss Shannon. I cant even imagine what you and the rest of Tex family are going through.
Sad day for the "planet" indeed.
 
It doesn't seem possible to shed a tear for someone I've never spoken to or met in real life, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Oed, wherever you are, I hope you have found peace and tranquility in the afterlife. The world is just a little sadder and poorer without you around to kick it's butt just a little.

RIP Tex.
 
I mostly lurk here, never really been one to offer much of an opinion. That's just how I am. I have read many of his posts, and have enjoyed all that he offered to a thread. Tex, my sincere condolences go out to all your loved ones. Rest in peace man.
 
Well, we all know that he will like living in Gods house....after all it is decorated with Pats paraphenalia.......and Peyton thought it was Tom Bradys house.....

RIP
 
(speechless)

I just remember being so concerned of his whereabouts after the tsunami. And we were all so relieved and happy when he came back and posted again.

I looked up his profile and got a bit of a chill when I read his last post:

http://www.patriotsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?s=&postid=136619#post136619

June Jollies - Volunteer needed...

I need someone to run this if its going to happen. My ship is sinking right now.

& I nominate Sophia Vergara, who got left off somehow.

- Tex

You will be missed. :(
 
This is just unspeakably awful.

He seemed like a very fine man.

My deepest sympathies and condolences, to you, Flagg Wanderer, and to Tex's family and loved ones. I only knew his screen persona. He was charming and brilliant.

A real loss.
 
I missed this thread. Passed by it uncountable times. Then tonight, things are not going so well and I started reading.

Holy PF Flyers, Tex? Tom?

:(


The tsunami !!!

The sisters !!

The Owls !

The only thing I can even say is

Please God have mercy on our friend.
 
Agnt42 said:


Holy PF Flyers, Tex? Tom?

:(


The tsunami !!!

The sisters !!

The Owls !

The only thing I can even say is

Please God have mercy on our friend.

I know. It's awful. Somebody's going to have to pick up the slack.

Maybe we should have some sort of memorial thread and/or board piece?
 
Whenever you meet and laugh with someone they attach a tiny string to your heart. When that string is yanked out the pain is very real.

RIP my laughing friend.

Oedipus Tex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
It isn't a lot, but we have decided to rename the classics forum in honor of Oed. Oed was responsible for many of the threads you see in here and much of the humor in others. Many of these threads would not be "classic" without his contributions.

Hawg will have a new thread shortly about this in here. If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and take some time and look through Oed's contributions over the years.

I am moving this thread to the newly renamed forum.

Happy Trails, Tex.
 
Renaming the classics forum in honor of Oed may not seem like much, but it is the greatest show of love and the highest honor this board could bestow upon one of it's best members.

Another idea and you folks have probably already thought of this, is to have an Oed smilie or three.

Oed, thanks for all the laughs and all the deep thinks you made me thunk. RIP
 
RIP Tex,

I haven't posted much in the last few months, caught up in my own dramas, however, I came here today to gear up for the opener, which I have to miss because of a new job, and was floored by this news.

I will be watching the game tonight, on tape delay, and will try be sure to have a "cold one" for Tex and think about what I knew about him and his post and his place in the this world and the next.

RIP Tex.
 
Most people stopped looking at this long ago, so I'm sure I'm talking to no one. With the talk about classic moments and someone even bringing up owls recently, I found myself back in here and I can't even tell you how much it means to read all of this.

I only talked to either of the Finneran sisters a couple times after this went down, and I really do miss Erin. It was just so painful to talk to them, but that was probably a horribly selfish reaction on my part. Would tracking them down now just reopen the wound? Probably.

Shit.
 
Would tracking them down now just reopen the wound?

It might, but there's also a great deal of catharsis that comes from reestablishing connections with old friends, even under circumstances such as these.

You should do it.
 
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