Remembered for his determination, selflessness and sense of humor, Thomas Holland Bratcher IV was devoted to family, friends and faith.
Thomas Bratcher, a general studies sophomore who planned to transfer to petroleum engineering, was a member of Squadron 2 in the Corps of Cadets. While he had family that attended Texas A&M, he did not visit campus much before enrolling. However, he made the most of his experience once he got to campus.
“Once he made up his mind, he was determined to go to A&M, and he loved being in the Corps,” said his mother, Theresa Bratcher.
Outside of class, Thomas Bratcher was involved with his church and was a member of the Corps basketball team. He had a strong Christian faith, Teresa Bratcher said, and he wasn’t afraid to show it.
“His passions were God and basketball,” Theresa Bratcher said.
Thomas Bratcher lived through his selflessness. His mother said he had an index card taped to his bathroom mirror that read, “It’s not about me.”
That selflessness followed him to Texas A&M where he continued to focus more on others than himself.
“He drove [teammates] to practice every day to make sure everyone was there,” said Will Schrank, assistant commandant and head coach of the Corps basketball team.
Schrank said Thomas Bratcher showed great enthusiasm and determination on and off the basketball court. A moment that stood out in Schrank’s memory came when Thomas Bratcher first tried out for the team. He made it to the last round of cuts, and he and Schrank were talking through Facebook messages about his tryout.
“He told me, ‘I’m going to be on this team, you want me on this team,’” Schrank said. “I remember being impressed by his enthusiasm.”
Elias Rosedahl, mechanical engineer sophomore, was close friends with Thomas Bratcher and one of his teammates on the basketball team. He said Thomas Bratcher was very competitive and passionate about basketball.
“We both went to the early-morning basketball practices that the assistant coach [Jay Capps] hosted, and I vividly recall us getting into competitive spats to the point where Jay had to intervene and tell us to walk it off,” Rosedahl said. “We both loved it and would laugh it off later as we ate breakfast at Duncan.”
Along with his drive to put heart and soul into everything he did, Theresa Bratcher also remembered his sense of humor, something he had from a very young age.
“As a baby he just had such a deep, deep belly laugh and it was that happiness that carried him through life,” Theresa Bratcher said.
Her son had an evident impact on people, Theresa Bratcher said. He displayed a genuine concern for others, which in turn made him very devoted to family and friends.
“It was so obvious after the funeral and all of the people that reached out to us that he had touched so many lives and so many people were affected by him,” Theresa Bratcher said.
Picture provided.