Evelyn Ann Galla Bratton

Her struggles with her health were many, but they were outdone by her strength to carry on with grace and humor. She will be rejoining her husband, E. Thomas Bratton and parents, John and Evelyn Galla.

Born in Connecticut, Evelyn grew up in Stratford, the eldest of three Galla children - including Angela in the middle and John the youngest. She grew up with poise and performance suiting how she presented herself, and at an early age found the theater to be her true passion. As a member of her high school drama club and the local Polka Dot Players, she honed the skills needed to please and succeed in life through acting. Evelyn became quite the celebrity in her town when she was crowned “Miss Juliet” of 1958 by the American Shakespeare Company, with none other than June Havoc placing the crown on her head. The number of newspaper clippings chronicling the event, as well as her other theater performances, speaks to the excitement this brought her and her family.

“Dreams of Stage” and “Stage Struck” headlines didn’t cloud her vision of the future, and she continued on to Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Penn., where she studied English in the liberal arts tradition. It was her hope to eventually become a teacher, her more practical backup vocation, and teach children the impact of literature and writing and, maybe, the joys of rock ‘n roll, her stated favorite music after Broadway. It was toward the end of her college years that she met a certain young man.

Evelyn met Tom Bratton at the Marriott Motor Hotel in Philadelphia, where he was the sales director. Their meeting came about due to a friend of Evie’s looking at the hotel to use for an event the friend was planning, and Evie tagged along to lend a hand. That meeting led to a courtship between Evelyn and Tom, culminating with an engagement picnic where they dined on champagne and hot dogs. A new life was ahead of her.

Evelyn and Tom were married on December 30th, 1964, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Philadelphia, Penn. She was 22 years old and he was 30. That day marks the beginning of a journey that would last 57 years until the time of his death in October 2022. They began in an apartment in Philadelphia, where their first daughter, Carolyn Taylor Bratton, was born in 1965. Soon, they moved into their first house in Briarcliff Manor, New York, where their second child, Elizabeth Allison Bratton, was born in 1967. A few years later, they would move on to McLean, Virginia, where Tom would be working out of Washington, DC. Here, their third child was born, John McKee Bratton, in 1970. Those early years included her other dream job of teaching elementary and junior high school. She eventually slowed down with her teaching as the family would continue to move and begin in new places with Tom’s work shifting around the East Coast. From McLean, Virginia, to Rosemont, Penn., to Fairfield, Conn., and then Richmond, Virginia, each new home offering new friends and opportunities as well as challenges. Evelyn was up to the task of raising her children in each new environment and found time to get her real estate license and substitute teach on the side. Once the Kids were grown and out on their own, Evelyn and Tom decided to retire to Williamsburg, Virginia. It was here that they lived together uninterrupted for 27 years, renewing their love and friendship with each other. It was also during this time that Evie was diagnosed and eventually beat cancer, affording her a chance to try out some very stylish headwear and be an inspiration as the strong and graceful woman she was. But other health problems would begin to weigh her down, and the loss of her husband in 2022 started a gradual toll that would eventually take her from us.

Evelyn is survived by her three children, Carolyn, Elizabeth, and John; as well as her sister, Angela, and brother, John.

A visitation for Evelyn will be held Friday, August 1, 2025 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Rd., Williamsburg, VA 23188.