Gus Barry Brady

Gus Barry Brady was born on January 8, 1961 to Mary Alta (Dunnavant) Brady and William Gus Brady in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He is finally at rest after a valiant battle with cancer. He died at home surrounded by his family on September 19, 2023. He is predeceased by his parents, his grandparents Minnie Lee and Walter Dunnavant and Mildred and Turner Brady. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Brady, his sons, Nicholas (fiancé Sapphire Forsyth) and Nathan Brady, his brothers Bart Brady (Andrea) and Barrett Dudley (Katie), and his sisters Beth Miller, Brittany Brady and Barbett Dudley. There are also numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews who adored Barry, and the feeling was mutual. He was a devoted Christian and member of Parkway Place Baptist Church.

Barry graduated from North Little Rock Ole Main High School in 1979 and attended and played tennis for Ouachita Baptist University and the University of Central Arkansas. He went on to complete his Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from Ole Miss, becoming a lifelong fan of the Rebels of Ole Miss. Not many people knew that during his illness he completed the didactic work for a PhD and passed his candidacy exam. He had begun work on his dissertation, but was unable to complete it due to progression of his illness and did not have the opportunity to defend his important work to help identify and prevent adolescent suicide clusters using geospatial mapping.

The early years of Barry’s professional career were spent at Conway Regional Medical Center and Ozark Health. He began working at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute in 2000 as a Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and remained there until he could no longer work due to his health in late 2022. He was a mentor to young professionals and a servant leader whose decisions were always thoughtful and deliberate. He treated everyone with respect and kindness.

Barry was a tennis coach in his spare time. First at Hendrix College and later at Chenal Country Club. He took a personal interest in his students and found joy watching others succeed and grow to become confident on the court and in life. He loved tennis, hiking, chess, reading, traveling, cycling, golf and any activity that he could convince a family member or friend to do with him. He maintained many lifelong friendships through tennis. He was incredibly competitive, but all was forgiven at the end of the match.

Barry was a Mason. He was a member of Pulaski Heights Lodge #673, the same Lodge as his Grandfather Dunnavant, and the Scottish Rite of Little Rock. He was honored with the KCCH for his service.

The family would like to thank Dr. Balan Nair and Amanda Grace, RN at CARTI for their skill, knowledge, kindness and responsiveness during his illness. We are also grateful for his team of doctors, nurses and PAs at MD Anderson. They were invested in this battle with us. Their skill and guidance extended Barry’s life years beyond what was expected. Thank you also to our family and friends who have stood beside us and held us up these last five years, and especially the last 9 months.

Barry will be missed by many. A man of faith, he lived with humility and a deep love for his family. His was a life well lived.

Services will be held at Immanuel Baptist Church, 501 N. Shackleford Rd. The family will welcome relatives and friends at a Visitation on Monday 9/25 from 4-6 pm. The Funeral service will be held on Tuesday 9/26 at 1:00 pm with burial to follow at Pine Crest Cemetery in Alexander.