Bradley Thomas Eggebrecht peacefully passed into eternity on Friday, April 26, 2024. Brad was born July 1, 1965 in Shakopee, Minnesota to Marie (Knebel) and Thomas Eggebrecht. He was the oldest of three boys. He graduated from North Shore High School in Houston, Texas where he was an all-state water polo player and on the swim team. He came to Little Rock in 1983 as one of Coach Richard Turner’s first recruits for UALR swimming and water polo. He always said that was his claim to fame. At UALR, he swam for two years and played water polo for four, where he was the team goalie. He was a team manager for the Trojan basketball team from 1985 – 1987. He was also a member of the Eta Xi chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity where he served as treasurer for two years.
While at UALR, Brad met Gina Martin in the student union one day in late February 1986 and his life was never the same. Their first date was March 1. He proposed on March 2. They married on March 3. That’s how Brad would tell the story, leaving Gina to dispel everyone’s shock at what seemed like a “whirlwind romance” when she shared the years: 1986, 1989, and 1990. He planned it that way specifically to make it a great story. Together, Brad and Gina raised four children, who were the greatest joys of his life – Elizabeth Jane, Katherine Martin, Anne Lancaster and Thomas Harrison.
Brad was a faithful member of the Bible Church of Little Rock where he played softball, sang in choir, and was “King of the Kitchen.” If there was a church-wide meal, it was expected that he would be in the kitchen or at the grill. He was especially known for leading the crew preparing the quarterly prayer breakfasts, arriving at the church around 6 a.m. to get started and always having at least one of his kids with him. He was an amazing cook – his fajitas were well-known - a favorite, and oft-requested, meal for friends and family. His nephews would often request “Uncle Brad’s fajitas” for their birthday dinners.
Brad was also loyal to Little Rock Trojan Athletics. He took great pride in being part of the table crew for both men’s and women’s basketball for 20 years, wearing the stripes at the table for 15 of those years until sidelined by a stroke in 2019. More than once when a game was winding down an official would run by and yell that they were one of the best table crews…and a couple of these officials worked Final Four games. He and the table crew were well-respected by officials around the NCAA because they knew the rules and stayed on top of the game. He was inducted into the Trojan Hall of Fame earlier this year as part of the 1986-87 Men’s Basketball Team that went to the NIT Final Four. That was like a dream come true for him.
Brad was preceded in death by his father, Tom and by his “favorite father-in-law,” Sam Martin. Carrying his memory along with Gina, Lizzie, Nin, Annie and Harrison are his mother, Marie; brothers David and Wayne; his “favorite mother-in-law” Sandra Martin; sister- and brother-in-law Sammie Ann and Chris Dunkum, along with extended family members and dear friends.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, May 7 at 3:30p.m. at The Bible Church of Little Rock, 19111 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. The family will receive visitors in church foyer after the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Bible Church of Little Rock 2024 South Africa Mission Trip (https://www.bclr.org/give) or Fellowship Bible Church Conway 2024 Czech Republic Mission Trip (https://tinyurl.com/4cmze5ah)
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