SPRINGFIELD — One of the speakers at Monday’s funeral service at St. John’s Congregational Church put it well: “He loved Springfield, and he came back. Not everyone came back. … He’ll be remembered forever.” For many outside the area, the hundreds of people that came to the Springfield service Monday came to mourn the passing of 29-year-old former New England Patriots defensive tackle Ron Brace. However, for those in attendance, Monday’s service was to remember and be thankful for the all-too-brief life of a Springfield native that had a smile that could — as the crowd said in unison — “light up a room,” and never forgot where he came from. From his charitable efforts following the 2011 hurricane that ravaged Western Mass. to fond memories of a goofy friend, the tales of Brace’s impact on the lives of those around him were told in laughter and tears Monday. Here are just a couple: Brace’s high school friends: Ron and the ice cream cone — and the McDonald’s diet “We were at Aunt Annette’s house on Clifton Ave. and I went in there basement, in the deep freezer — and before this, he tells me he wants me to spend the night. I went in the deep freezer, I got an ice cream cone. I sat next to him, I was eating it. He just kept looking at me. I’m like, ‘Sup?’ He said, ‘I don’t even want you to stay the night no more.’” “He used to come home from BC. Every time he come home, he’d come to my house and chill. So he had to get on a scale and lose a couple pounds. So we went to McDonald’s. I said, ‘What you want?’ He said, ‘I want five double cheeseburgers.’ So we’re leaving, and he’s taking the bread off of them, like ‘What are you doing?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m on a no carb diet.’” Brace’s aunt (or “Momtie”) Rhonda Brace: When he became a humanitarian “He affectionately called me ‘Momtie,’ and it wasn’t something that we shared in public, pretty much through our private conversations. But I want to thank my brother, (Ron Brace Jr.), and (Ron Brace’s) mother, Vonda, for the gift. Truly was a gift to me, and a true blessing. I tell you that I learned that Ron was a humanitarian when he was about eight years old. He and I had gone to the corner store. There was a young kid when we came up, outside of the store crouching down like he was hungry and needed money. So I kind of felt like the young person was just try to (get some) money. We kinda got to the car and Ron was like, ‘Auntie, you’re not gonna give him any money?’ And I said, ‘Ron, that kid’s just joking around. He doesn’t need any money.’ He said, ‘You’ve gotta give him something.’ “So anyways, I gave him money. He went back to give the kid money. We went, got in the car. Next thing you know, we’re driving off, the kid’s jumping around, he did the Mike pose. I said ‘See, he was fine after all.’ But that told me then that Ron had a big heart. And as you know, as he grew into the fine young man that he was, his heart continued for people that were not in the best life. He came back for the tornado relief, rebuilding Springfield. But I just want to tell you that he’s always been a joy in my life. I cannot tell you a day that he has not been a joy in my life. But I carry him with me, and I know that God’s got him.” Former Burncoat High student A former student at Burncoat High (Brace’s alma mater) told a story about his time as a student at UConn when Brace came to visit. He told Brace, “you’re a legend.” He also told him, “You’re the best player to ever come out of Burncoat, but you’re about to become number 2.” New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft John Brown, Athletic Director, Wellesley Public Schools: Ron, the track and field coach It wasn’t public knowledge, but Brace had recently approached the Wellesley school system about helping out as a coach for the track & field team. It was only for a month, but Brown said that students on the team followed Brace like he was the “Pied Piper,” and that no one quite believed him when he said that he wanted to help coach the 100-meter dash and high jump. Brace himself was a high school track athlete. At that point in the service, other family and friends had already told of Brace’s accomplishments in — believe it or not — the 50-meter dash, as well as the shot put. Tammy Golphin, who helped tell the story of Brace’s impact in Springfield last week “The building’s too small. I knew it was going to be too small. Because he comes from a big family on his father’s side. He’s a great nephew. And then of course and the friends and family, it goes on and on.”
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from Commercial Spy http://www.commercialspy.com/ron-brace-funeral-stories-from-his-momtie-and-a-five-double-cheeseburger-no-carb-diet/
from
https://onlineshoppingnewsfeed.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/ron-brace-funeral-stories-from-his-momtie-and-a-five-double-cheeseburger-no-carb-diet/
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