Rodger Van Pelt Bramley

Rodger Van Pelt Bramley was born to Mildred Lotz Bramley and William (Bill) Bramley in Hartford, Connecticut on February 8, 1942. He was raised on the shores of the Long Island Sound in Northport, Long Island, New York where he developed a lifelong love of the ocean and boating.

Rodger spent grades 4th- 6th in the Bronx where he attended Our Savior Catholic School (his tales of the nuns lasted a lifetime!) and had the unique experience of living on the grounds of Saint Barnabas Hospital where his mother was an administrator. They then relocated to Park Forest, Illinois, before moving to Dallas on an exceptionally hot day in the summer of 1956. Despite the heat and being from the North, Rodger fell in love with Dallas, settling in Oak Cliff where he attended Sunset High School, graduating in 1960.

Rodger began college at the University of Oklahoma. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity where he served as Social Chairman (aka Party Planner). The summer after his freshman year, he reconnected with a pretty, blue-eyed brunette from his high school homeroom class named Linda Aubrey. Rodger and Linda married on July 2, 1963. They lived in Norman, Oklahoma while he finished college. Upon graduation from OU, Rodger and Linda moved back to Dallas where he began his career in outside sales with Johnson & Johnson.

Rodger and Linda later welcomed daughters Angela and Alicia.

In 1975, the Bramley family moved to Plano where Rodger & Linda lived until 2022 when they returned to Dallas to live at The Tradition.

In the late 1970’s, Rodger made the career move from sales to homebuilding and construction.

For many years, Rodger and Linda were active members at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Dallas where he cooked for the annual parish Shrimp Boil for 25 years, played pitcher on the church softball team and taught Sunday School.

Beginning in college, golf became a passion of Rodger’s. He was a member of many different clubs and golf groups through the years, but particularly loved his years at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano where he was also an avid gin player. He was extremely proud that all three of his grandkids love to golf.

Rodger loved travel and adventure. Costa Rica, Mexico, and Las Vegas were frequent favorites, but he also loved vacations to Europe with Linda – especially cruises (both river and ocean). Additionally, he treated the whole family to many memorable trips including Cancun, a Disney Cruise, Horseshoe Bay and Orange Beach, Alabama.

Rodger was the family chef. Every family holiday was his chance to shine – Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, he would stop the show with his roasts, stews, or anything on the grill. The meals meant the most to him when he was able to share them with his family and friends, leaving behind many memories of praise and thanks for his abilities and hospitality.

Rodger passed away on August 12, 2023 after a long battle with cancer.

Preceded in death by his parents and sister, Marcia Bramley Richards, Rodger is survived by his wife of 60 years, Linda Aubrey Bramley, daughters Angela Thornhill and Alicia Taylor, son-in-law Mark Thornhill, and beloved grandchildren Stone Thornhill, Knox Thornhill and Caroline Taylor.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to his caregivers, especially Shirley Darden and Hilda Aguirre.

A funeral mass will be held at The Church of the Incarnation at 11 am on Friday, August 18 followed by a reception in the Welcome Center of the church. 3966 McKinney Ave., Dallas, Texas 75204.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls (mercyhome.org) or First Tee (firsttee.org), two organizations close to Rodger’s heart.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Bramley family.