Frederick "Bryan" Marberry

April 22, 1966 - December 20, 2012

Bryan left suddenly to be with his Lord and Savior and claimed the promise of Jesus. Luke 23:43 "I tell you the truth TODAY you will be with me in paradise".

Precious son of Carolyn Davis Dalton and Bonnie & Fred Marberry Jr. Loving father of Brittnay, Bryan, & Kennedy, beloved brother of Greg & Melissa Marberry and Holly & Kyle Henning, & stepsister Jennifer Johnson. Proud uncle of Jeremy Schwab & Luke Marberry, as well as beloved cousins & friends.

Bryan was born in Waco, Texas, resided in Orlando-Winter-Park area, and returned to Texas with his family in 1973. He became a student at Eanes elementary school in the 3rd grade and completed his high school at Westlake High School. During those years he made lifelong friends, as represented by all of the outpouring of condolences since his death on December, 20th. His natural athletic ability was a driving force during those years as a fierce competitor and he adored his older brother, Greg Marberry who inherited natural athletic abilities and achieved many successes and goals for Bryan to challenge. Bryan's sister, Holly and her friend, Amy Newton, were staunch supporters to the boy's track meets. They enjoyed room service at the hotels and we soon discovered Lobster and steak dinners exceeded our hotel room charges. Their dad, Fred Marberry, played varsity baseball at Baylor University for four years and for a farm club of the Pittsburg Pirates. Bryan's grandfather, Fred "Firpo" Marberry was a Major League Baseball Relief Pitcher for The New York Giants and Washington Senators and pitched in 3 World Series. Bryan's son, Bryan Wayne "Firpo" is a serious baseball pitcher playing at ChaminadePrep High School in Westlake, CA in his fourth year and is a senior.

Bryan and Charmaine Succa were married in 1991 and resided in Westlake and Simi Valley CA communities with their children, Brittany Amber (12/21/92), Bryan Wayne (5/5/95), and Kennedy Nicole (09/24/97). Bryan had a tender heart and large presences wherever he went. Bryan expressed how meaningful his experience was in assisting with caring for Grandpa Succa, a victim of Alzheimer's disease. Grandpa was a small man and Bryan would pick him up and take in the shower daily helping with his care, including giving him his medications until he died at home; as was Grandpa's wish.

Bryan was a Salesman for the Lipton Company and was awarded "National Rookie Salesman of the Year. He excelled as a sales representative for Lawery Foods and moved into a management position. Bryan's last successful employment endeavor was manager for First Bank of Beverly Hills, CA in the Merchant Banking Division. He had some 60 sales people reporting to him. One of his coworkers was a co-founder of My Space (sold out to Face book) and Collin continued to stay in touch with Bryan as late as 3 weeks ago, encouraging him on business opportunities and offering assistances. Bryan told me he started to drink a lot because he feared as he was achieving success, he would fail.

Bryan lost his way for many years with the disease of Alcohol Addiction. The demons of the disease are horrendous, and he battled those demons unsuccessfully. The disease cost him his marriage, the loss of being a father in a day to day relationship with his children, loss of jobs, and the loss of relationships with many friends and family members. Most expected he could quit drinking because it was the right thing to do. His rehab attempts were numerous from La Hacienda, Texas Star Recovery, and a nontraditional rehab program in Clearwater, Florida, Y-Haven in Cleveland, Ohio and an Open Door Mission in Houston, Texas.

It appeared he had run out of options for care, lacking insurance and income. Then an Angel, in the form of Rob Namy, a client of Greg's from Cleveland, Ohio, appeared. He arranged for Bryan to be taken in at Y-Haven in Cleveland where he had care for fourteen months. Bryan became a widely accepted "brother" to many of the other clients at the facility. The care was without charge and Bryan benefited greatly from Cleveland Medical Center where treatment was provided at no charge. Eventually, his conduct required his release from the facility. He learned valuable lessons on how one gets around without a car. He utilized the Metro trains and Bus systems, and learned how to protect himself in some very dark places. We spent days and years attempting to get Bryan qualified for Social Security Disability and at this facility his plea finally was heard. There the slow process of paper work was started. An eventual face to face meeting with Social Security worker in Houston, a year and a half later, said he should have been receiving funds for several years and retroactive benefits were paid to Bryan and his children. Praise God.

Practicing tough love proved very difficult for Fred and Carolyn Dalton. During a record snow year in Cleveland, Bryan was released to the streets and his calls of fear, being robbed of his belongings, and freezing cold temperatures, prompted us to say," get in a hotel". We arranged flights to bring him back to Texas, and started looking for a place Bryan could get help. Bryan arrived in Houston where Fred and I took him to a hotel with us for three days to sort out details of his upcoming intake to a facility in Houston.

His cousin, Dwight Davis, became his second Angel, finding a facility "Open Door Mission" in downtown area of Houston. It was safe, warm, secure, with a Christian Staff and so many warm, giving, charitable organizations supportive of the mission, and again, no charge. A used clothing store where many new or almost new clothes, coats and shoes, were available to the clients and Bryan was able to replenishes his stolen wardrobe. One of his favorite workers was a Bible professor and Bryan faithfully attended his four day a week classes, achieved security guard status within one month, and again, rose like cream to the top with "with the brothers" and had his own security team within the mission. He was elected coach of their baseball team and labored to help them excel in their games. He was an active team member of their basketball and a leader until he suffered the severe knee injury requiring knee replacement. Ben Taube Trauma Medical Center was also available to Bryan. He was selected from ten candidates for the experimental cadaver knee replacement at a $250,000 dollar cost for free. His friends at the Mission helped in his recovery and insisted he work out as able. He achieved excellent physical condition, survived hurricane Rita in the facility, brought 30 "brothers" with him on a bus to our annual World Hope International Board Meeting at Houston Northwest Baptist. About 800 folks attended. Many of the Mission group came to me and hugged me telling me how much they loved Bryan and how he was always volunteering to take some of the men to their medical appointments because they needed assistances, either physically or assist with the medical forms, and encouraging them in whatever their life challenges were. These men made cash donations to World Hope Ministries that night. One man gave me pennies, nickels and dimes in an envelope, saying that's all he had, but wanted to share. Bryan made it for two years at the mission before yielding to the disease again and being released from the facility.

These comments are necessary for my healing as a mom because I want folks to know the desperation he suffered as an alcoholic and yet also to know the loving soul demonstrated by his actions as he struggled with his disease. To you who survive Bryan he felt so much pain for those who suffered because of him and ached for the love of those he hurt the most. All of the above information is only a snapshot of the ten year war waged with Bryan's disease by him and his family. There was always the incredible thin line walked as a mother and step dad (whom he adored), between enabling and assisting in possible life-saving attempts. My prayer life went from a couple of times a day to almost without ceasing. Miles driven, praying for improved vision for me during torrential rains at night, hours in hospitals waiting on clinic type appointments, waiting hours and days to see if he would survive his latest crisis in charity hospitals, sitting in tiny hard chairs in a hospital ward with four patients in a room (many of those men using profane language) and Bryan always yelling out "hey man, anything I can help you with?" He called nurses for their needs and I continued hours of phone time attempting to console and lift up his mental state after his failures always assuring him of God's love and healing power. I had many prayers with Bryan and calls asking prayers groups for intercessory prayers during his five life threatening bouts with pancreatitis, and a vigil of several weeks with his near death experience after shattering his spleen. One of my most difficult jobs was attempting to console my son after the loss and death of his Dad. I was grieving and wishing for a strong son to help me carry the load. This was soon followed by the death of his confidant and spiritual advisor, Uncle Harold Davis in September of this year.

Bryan's last illness on November 20012 had a different tone to it. Nurses and Doctors doing major tests on a Friday night upon admission, a midnight transfer to the sister Trauma I center at Seton Hospital, and a 4 hour MRI under sedation to determine his diagnosis. Strep Bacteria in his blood stream, neck bone, soft tissue of the neck area and in lining of his spinal cord. Not a lot of hope for his recovery. His sister Holly glued to me as always in time of crisis witnessing his return to conciseness a day later, and when he saw her, tears rolled down his checks and he was attempting to write something in the air. I asked are you saying "I love you, Holly" and he nodded yes. Thank you, God, for that moment as it was a healing one for them and led to our first family Thanksgiving Dinner in 6 years. They shared a special bond as young children. I was a single mom and most evenings we all would pile in my bed and they would take turns selecting Bible stories we would read from a special book and say our prayers. It was heartbreaking to see them estranged later in life because of Bryan's illness.

I love my Lord; our family praises Him for the time Bryan spent in Texas Neuro Rehab Center to receive daily IV's to stamp out the bacteria in his blood. This allowed us times to discuss many things. Bryan called me over the last 3 years living in Austin, when he had one of his non-believer friends visiting as they discussed Salvation, asking me to give him Scripture locations and words to impart so that person might know Jesus. He decorated our Christmas tree last weekend, did the table settings for our planned Christmas Lunch, addressed Christmas cards to his children, and doing small things I find difficult with my RA. My plan was to pick Bryan up on Thursday, December 20, at 2:00 PM and bring him to my home for two weeks of continued medication and his plan was to return to his apartment. He was upbeat, planning a 3 mile walking route for us to start working on, and professional plans he wanted pursue. He always loved me, hugged me, and assured me I was going to be fine and he was going to get well and be here to help me. We had a close bond. We spoke at 9:00 PM Wednesday evening and he said his things were packed. I told him his doctor had called with suggestions to increase exercise, eat healthy, and he should do well. As always, he said, I love you, Mom. See you tomorrow. I will see Bryan again, but for now it is so heartbreaking not to have him with us. Many unanswered questions about his last hours and pursuit will not change the loss. But I will ask the questions.

Because of Bryan's illness, many of his friends may not have seen the spiritual side of Bryan, only the party hard times. Although I know from the outpouring of friends from the 3rd grade and not seeing him for the past 10 years, you know you knew someone special heart and soul. I want to tell you, his faith was real and he is experiencing in Heaven what all Christians know will be ours. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, please call or seek me out or someone to counsel with. One only needs to pray to God acknowledge your belief Jesus is God's son, and died on the cross, so we could be saved. Read in our Bible, John 3:16 and read Luke 23: 42-43. An assurance of being with Jesus Christ after experiencing Salvation is so simple; many find it difficult to believe it. Thank you for your prayers, condolences, and expressions of love. One of the greatest joys of being a mother is to know and love your children's friends and their families. It is my privilege to continue to be blessed by friends of each of my children and feel their love for me and see it demonstrated many times over, especially in tough times.

A Memorial service will be held January 12, 10 a.m. at Smith Family Chapel at Riverbend Center on Capital of Texas Highway, Austin.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to World Hope Ministries International, P.O Box 11808, Spring, Texas 77391 www.whmi.org.

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God's Relentless Pursuit

To those grieving the passing of Bryan Marberry, I want to share a few thoughts on what God has taught me through his life—and death. I knew Bryan from a different angle than many of you. Although I was privileged to meet him on several occasions, to know him as a warm and affable young man, he and I were not close friends. I came to know him through my association with World Hope Ministries International. His uncle, Dr. Harold Davis, was that ministry's founder and his mother and stepdad were involved with World Hope from its beginning. Through the years he often expressed interest in World Hope. During one of his down times, he gave to support the ministry and encouraged his friends with whom he was living in the shelter to do the same—and they did—an envelope of coins and small bills, given out of love. Having said that, the way I knew Bryan best was through the eyes of his stepdad and dear mother, Fred and Carolyn. It was their unconditional love through Bryan's ups and downs that has painted for me a wonderful picture. It is that picture I want to share and it is that picture that I want you to think about in your own life.

Bryan's struggles were no secret to anyone. We live in a cracked world and no matter what anyone tells you, human flesh is weak, susceptible to every sort of breakdown. Harmful addictions, all of which have chemical effects on the body, are a part of living in a sinful world, where our bodies themselves are corrupt. The Bible makes a clear distinction between the flesh (our bodies) and the spirit (that part of us that has the capacity to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ). The fact is that our bodies themselves are broken by sin. This is evidence of a spiritual truth stated by the Apostle Paul, "I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50)." I say all of this not to excuse Bryan's sin, for as a believer, it was Bryan's responsibility to glorify God with his body. For all of us as believers in Jesus Christ, it is our responsibility to resist temptation and glorify God with all that we have. But, like Bryan, all of us fail in some measure. The Apostle John said that if we say we do not sin, we are lying. But, he also said that if we sin and confess it, we find forgiveness, for we have an Advocate with the Father who is Christ Jesus (1 John 1:8-2:1).

In Bryan's life, I saw him struggle for years and that surely brought pain to him and to those around him. This is the result of sin—it hurts. But through all of that, I saw unconditional love from Fred and Carolyn, as well as others. Yes, sometimes that love was tough, but always genuine, always giving, always pursuing. That is how I came to know Bryan, through eyes of unconditional love from those who would not give up on him. Their love was not perfect, but it never ran out. It is that picture that I saw through Bryan's life: a picture through which I see God and I see myself. Like God pursued Bryan through those who loved Him, God has relentlessly pursued me with His love and grace, despite my failures and weaknesses. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, the Bible says you are a child of God. This is how God relentlessly and lovingly pursues all of His children.

That is the picture I want you to see. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, I want you to open your eyes and see God's love pursuing you. For all the times Bryan resisted that love, God never failed him. If you will open your eyes today and look, you will find Him there pursuing you—run to Him, not from Him. If you have never come to a place where you have trusted the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as your only means of salvation, do it today. You can know the assurance, despite the struggles, that God's salvation is real, that His grace is boundless, and His love is relentless.

Until we leave this world, every one of us will struggle. It might be an addiction; it might be with a past hurt, it might be with pain you have caused others or pain others have caused you. But that is just a symptom of a broken world—a world sorely in need of redemption. The hope that comes through the Gospel, God's relentless pursuit of us, is the only sure hope you can ever know. Bryan knew that hope and is now at rest in the presence of God. I have no doubt that he would encourage you to take a less rocky path to get there—to run away from the flesh. I am also confident that he would tell you that, if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, the real victory comes when you leave this life. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, our security rests in His grace and not in our ability to live a perfect life. Many people wrongly believe that God will weigh our works at the end of our life, and are quietly hoping that when they stand before God, their good will outweigh their bad and they will make it to heaven. The best of us cannot make it to heaven on those terms. It is only in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that we can become recipients of God's relentless love for us. If we have that we have everything; if not, we have nothing. In the words of Isaac Watts, a hymn writer from two centuries ago:

If sin be pardoned, I'm secure,

Death hath no sting beside;

The law gives sin its damning power;

But Christ, my ransom, died.

Now to the God of victory

Immortal thanks be paid,

Who makes us conquerors while we die,

Through Christ our living head.

Bryan knew that relentless love of God. He saw it through those around him; and, by his own testimony, he knew it in the depths of his spirit. Despite sin, he knew pardon; despite failure, he knew security; despite death, he now knows victory. I pray you will know it as well.

From one relentlessly pursued by God,

Dr. Stuart Sheehan

President

World Hope Ministries International