Rememering BeeWin

William's Rescuer Nominated for Award

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0000

John Lloyd, who saved William's life, has been nominated and become the first Florida finalist for the Above and Beyond Citizen Medal of Honor. Read about it here.

Good luck John. You surely deserve this honor.

Beesball First Pitch

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:35:00 +0000

William Wynne, son of the late Brian Wynne (BeeWin), will be throwing out the first pitch at the Georgia Tech baseball game against Youngstown State on Sunday, February 24 (opening weekend). Game time is 1:00.

If you're able, please come out and cheer him on. Make sure to join us in Section 10, and make sure you're in the stands by 12:45.

Updated to add:
Click here for information on GT Baseball tickets.

Remembering Uncle Brian

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 01:29:00 +0000

Brian's niece Julie sent this picture of her dad and Uncle Don with her Uncle Brian. It was taken at her sister's engagement party. What a great shot of the three of them.

Will's All-Star Game

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:48:00 +0000

These are some pictures of Will batting and the crowd at the All-Star game today. There was a moment of silence honoring Brian before the game started. If you have any additional photos to add, please contact me.

Remembering Brian from Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:08:00 +0000

In Oct 1993 I came from Germany to Atlanta to work as an intern at SKWChemicals. The former secretary of SKW introduced me to some of theirbest friends to which Brian belonged. I was a complete strangerknowing nobody and nothing about this big city. These days Brianhelped me a lot to get along in my new surroundings. Though we nevermet before he made me feel to be a part of his local life. We met withfriends to go out, we were at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, at Helloweenparties and of course at Yellow Jacket-games. Brian did what I thoughtwas impossible: He made a German guy understand the rules of AmericanFootball and enjoy drinking American beer out of cans while laughingabout Beavis and Butthead. These few months I spent in Atlanta truelyenriched my life and I will never forget them. Thank you Brian, mythoughts are with you whereever you are now.

Sönke

Will's All-Star Team

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:03:00 +0000

The Mountain Park all star team, Mountain Park -National, will be starting their all star tournament June 16 without one special coach, Brian Wynne. They will have their all star player Will and Brian's spirit.

Several people have requested information so that they may show their support for Will and Kimberly. David Kelly sent me some information about the tournament. Will's first game is Saturday, June 16, at 2pm.

Please email us or comment to this post if you have any questions or comments to share.

Bay Creek Park
Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation
175 Ozora Road, Loganville
770-338-0726

Click the compass for a Google map.

Making a Donation for Will

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:05:00 +0000

The story of a hero and his wonderful son has prompted many to ask how they can help.

We have set up an account so that those who wish to contribute may donate via PayPal to Will's 529 account.

Click the Make a Donation button in the right column of this page to make your donation though a credit/debit card or PayPal account.

If you would like to donate, but prefer to mail a check, you may do so using the information below.

Checks should be payable to:
AIM College Savings Plan - FBO William G. Wynne
Address: William G. Wynne College Fund
c/o Level Creek Wealth Management
Attn: Brian Cantel
970 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Suite 300
Suwanee, GA 30024

For more information on Level Creek Wealth Management, please visit their web site.

Please contact me with any questions using the email in the right column on this site.

Lapel Pins Honoring Brian

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 04:04:00 +0000

Lapel pins were distributed by Brian's Section 10 friends at his service on May 30th. Given the enormous turn out, demand far exceeded supply.

If you would still like a pin please send an e-mail to RememberingBeeWin@yahoo.com. This will give Section 10 an idea of how many pins to order on the next run.

Go Rockies

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 03:52:00 +0000

Posted by Chris Castille

Here are a couple of pictures of one of the things the Brian liked to do best, coach his son. This is the most recent baseball team that they were a part of together, the Rockies. These photos were taken on May 14th.

On of the team members has a Dad serving in the military in Iraq. Brian had all of the kids sign a game ball and he sent it to him in Iraq. His team members and fellow coaches wish to express how much they will miss Coach Wynne.

Contribute to Will's Education Fund

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:24:00 +0000

Many of you reading this blog want to help in any way you can. To honor Brian's wonderful spirit, we are posting information so that you can contribute to Will's college fund.

We are working with an online merchant and the Wynne's financial counselor to enable anyone to contribute online with a credit/debit card. We hope to have this set up in the next couple of days.

In the mean time, you may send a check to the following address that will go directly into Will's 529 account.

Checks should be payable to:
AIM College Savings Plan - FBO William G. Wynne

Address:
William G. Wynne College Fund
c/o Level Creek Wealth Management
Attn: Brian Cantel
970 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Suite 300
Suwanee, GA 30024

For more information on Level Creek Wealth Management, please visit their web site.

Remembering a Coach….

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Wed, 30 May 2007 01:31:00 +0000

As a representative of Mountain Park Athletic Association and a fellow coach with Brian at Mountain Park Baseball this past season, everyone should know how saddened we are as a community with his loss. I can speak for all of the coaches in the league in saying that he was a pleasure to get to know and to coach with and against this season. He was a fine coach, as you could always see in his eyes how proud he was of his team and especially Will. All of the coaches in the league will miss seeing Brian on the field, but we all join together to support Will in any way possible as we know Brian will be watching closely over him for many seasons to come. All coaches are to some extent hero’s in the eyes of young players, but we are all humbled in comparison to the heroic efforts of Brian whose actions ensured that his son will continue to play on. Will was selected to represent Mountain Park as an all-star player this season and Brian was also selected as an all-star coach. With permission from Kimberly and Will, all of the Mountain Park all-star players will wear black wrist bands with Brian's initials when they begin all-star tournament play on June 16th.

We will miss you Brian-

David Kelly
Mountain Park Athletic Association

11 Alive News Story

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Tue, 29 May 2007 19:21:00 +0000

This is John Lloyd. He helped save William's life and tried to help Brian. John Lloyd recounts how he helped save William's life on this page. There is a video link with an interview.

AJC Obituary

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:53:00 +0000

http://www.legacy.com/atlanta/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=88423493

Brian Weathers Wynne, age 40, of Stone Mountain, Ga, passed away in a tragic drowning in Fernandina Beach, Fla., on Friday, May 25, 2007, while vacationing with his wife and son. He was born in Atlanta on February 14, 1967, was a 1985 graduate of Druid Hills High School and a 1989 graduate of Georgia Tech. A devoted family man, he is survived by his beloved wife, Kimberly, and son, Wiliam Gordon Wynne, age 7, who was the pride of his life. He was the beloved son of Julia Weathers Wynne and the late Don Raymond Wynne, Jr., of Atlanta. Other survivors include his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Pam and Walter Mott, Tucker, Ga; his sister, Dorothy Helen Wynne, Arlington, Va., brothers and sisters-in-law: Charles and Dancy Wynne, Gainesville, Ga., and Don and Kelley Wynne, Potomac, Md; nieces and nephew: Sara and Julie Wynne, Gainesville, Ga., and Stephen and Elizabeth Wynne, Potomac, Md., all of whom deeply cherish his memory. As a youth, Brian attained the rank of Eagle Scout. As an adult, he worked as an insurance auditor, and was active in the Masons, in many leadership positions. He was a member of Peachtree Baptist Church and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. His happiest times were working as a coach with youth sports, most recently with the Mountain Park Athletic Association. He was a proud Georgia Tech alumnus and supporter. In addition to his family, he leaves behind many dear friends. The family will receive friends at H.M. Patterson's, Spring Hill, on Tuesday, May 29, from 4-8pm. Following his burial at Westview Cemetery, a memorial service will be conducted at Peachtree Baptist Church at 2pm on Wednesday, May 30, followed by a reception at the church. Contributions may be made in Brian's memory to the Masonic Children's Home of Georgia, 1417 Nottingham Drive, Macon, Ga, 31211, or to a charity of your choice. Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 5/28/2007.

You may sign the AJC guest book here.

Fox 5 News Interview with Kimberly and Will

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:28:00 +0000

Atlanta's Fox 5 News interviewed Kimberly and William. This is a very sweet and touching interview.

The story and video link is on their web site here.

Brian Wynne, 1967-2007

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Mon, 28 May 2007 12:34:00 +0000

Posted by Vu

It was supposed to be a great weekend, and for the most part, it started off that way. Chris, Jaime, and I left Atlanta at 6am Wednesday to head down to Jacksonville. We rented a convertible for the drive, and the weather and the traffic allowed for a great drive down. We arrived at the hotel at 11am, two hours prior to the start of the Georgia Tech/North Carolina baseball game. We picked up a 12-pack and headed over to the stadium where we met up with Andrea and Kim (staying at the same Jacksonville hotel) and Ryan (who rented a beach house on Amelia Island). During the tailgate, I called Brian to ask him when he was driving down for the tournament. Georgia Tech won its first game, beating the #4 team in the country.

Tech was to play its next game at 4pm Thursday against Virginia. Early Thursday morning, Brian called me to ask about traffic conditions and to tell me that he would arrive directly at the stadium a couple hours prior to the game. We talked about picking up some fried chicken for the tailgate. He ended up getting caught in a little traffic, but did arrive by game time. We all sat together and enjoyed the game, even though Tech lost. Brian and his family were staying at the beach house with Ryan. They left right after the game to head up to Amelia Island, and I told them that I would drive up and meet them there early.

Friday morning to spend the day at the beach.Friday started off as a great day. Chris and I woke up early and made the 35 mile drive up to Amelia Island. The sun was shining, the top was down, and the tunes were blasting. After arriving in Amelia Island, we had trouble finding their beach house. I placed several phone calls with no luck. We ended up parking and walking down to the beach -- we just so happened to park a couple hundred yards north of the beach house right near the main beach access. This was where most of the people on the beach were at, including the lifeguards. After searching for Ryan and Brian on the beach, I finally received a call from Brian. We drove over to their beach house where we saw him standing out front flagging us down. We parked, Chris and I headed down to the beach first, and Brian told me he'd be down shortly after. Brian's son William and Ryan were already down at the beach; Ryan was fishing on a sandbar just a handful of yards out from the shore; William was standing there playing with him. I walked out to Ryan and William to say hi, then I went back to the shore, put out my beach towel, and laid back to get some sun. Brian later came down and joined. He and I were sitting on the beach for about an hour, just chatting. At times, his wife Kimberly, his son, Ryan, and Chris were also there. About 11:30, it was just he and I sitting on the beach. He tells me that he is going to go swimming with his son. I turn over to get some sun on my back. Shortly afterwards, I start walking down towards the beach. This was the point where I see Brian several hundred yards to my left and out away from the shore, waving his arms above his head and screaming for help.

At this point, Chris starts swimming out towards them. Kimberly, frantic, started screaming for her son and started swimming out as well. I got in the ocean but realized that I just am not a good swimmer and cannot make it out there. I head back on shore and run down towards the lifeguards screaming for help. A number of other bystanders also heard the screams and also started screaming for the lifeguards. The next moments were a little fuzzy -- I was standing on the shore. I saw a number of people out in the ocean, but many were so far out that I could not tell who everyone was. I saw the lifeguards struggling to make it out there. I saw them starting to pull people in, and I'd run up and down the beach trying to figure out if any of them were any of my four friends in the ocean. Kimberly was the first of my friends to be pulled back to shore. She was hysterical, as is expected, knowing that her husband and son were still out there. Several minutes later, I see Chris swimming back towards shore, dragging Brian in. I start running out to help, as does Ryan and a couple other bystanders. At this point, Brian was unconscious. We get him up on the beach where a couple bystanders performed CPR on him -- one of whom was a physician. I stood there trying to help in any way I can, although it was tough seeing my friend in such condition. As the lifeguards pull more people back onto the beach, I would run back and forth to see who each was -- finally, minutes later, William was pulled back in and was reunited with his mom. We later learned that Brian instructed the lifeguard to save William first.

Ryan's wife Erika, meanwhile, called 911. I'm not sure whether she was the first person to call 911, but the ambulances showed up shortly afterwards. I ran back out to the street to direct them to Brian. They arrive with all of their equipment and try unsuccessfully for another 20 minutes to resuscitate Brian. He is finally taken by ambulance to Nassau Baptist Hospital. Ryan was standing by the entire time, shaken. He screamed a number of times, "Breathe, Brian, breathe!" As Brian was being taken to the hospital, I told Ryan that he should get in his car and follow.

Kimberly and William had already both been taken to the hospital as well to be checked. Brian was being taken there, Ryan drove there. Jay and Kim, two other friends who were at the beach house, Chris, and I just sat on the beach, shaken. Erika was back at the beach house with newborn Anna. We finally packed up all the beach gear and took it back to the beach house where we regrouped and waited for news. After waiting way too long, I first called the hospital, where they wouldn't give me information due to patient privacy issues. I finally called Ryan. He struggled to get the words out but told me that "He didn't make it." Jay and Kim had already driven to the hospital, bringing clothing for Kimberly and William. Chris and Erika were still at the beach house -- I barely managed to tell them the news.

Quite a bit later, Chris and I decided that we a) probably couldn't offer too much comfort to Kimberly and William and would get in the way, b) would not be able to emotionally handle seeing everyone return from the hospital, and c) would accomplish more if we drove back to Jacksonville. I knew how close Ryan was to Brian and I wanted to get back to the hotel so that I could start notifying people, reducing the number of people Ryan had to tell the story to.

Because Brian was traveling to watch the Georgia Tech team play in the ACC baseball tournament, I felt it important to notify the baseball team. I made phone calls to Rod Mackenzie, Randy Carroll, and Richard Musterer. Less than 24 hours later, Georgia Tech played its final game of the ACC tournament against NC State -- nearly every Georgia Tech fan in attendance was aware of the tragedy. The team was also aware; they provided me with an autographed baseball to give to the family and promised me an autographed batting helmet later on in the week as well. The team played the game in Brian's honor. We draped "BW" in black letters across several seats in the same row as he sat at Thursday's game to honor him. It really shows how much of a family Georgia Tech baseball is. I know that Kimberly and William watched portions of the game before they headed back to Georgia, and I hope that all of these actions will help offer them some comfort, whether on the day of, or later on down the road. Georgia Tech lost the game 8-7, but after coming back from three different deficits in the game, the team showed that they gave it their all.

Having been there and witnessing Brian's final moments, it's been incredibly tough on me... I've repeated this story dozens of times now, and although it's been very tough each and every time, I know that every time I tell the story, it's one less time that Ryan or Kimberly will have to. And I know that Brian died a hero saving his son's life and I know that every hero's story needs to be told.

Although I've only known Brian a few years, during that short time, he's become a great friend. We've been on several trips together, we've watched many sporting events together, we've tailgated many times together, and I talk to him on the phone or get an e-mail from him nearly every day. I think Brian's greatest quality -- it's the reason why he is loved and will be missed by so many people and it may be the reason why he passed away this Friday -- is that he is an incredibly selfless man. At tailgates, he would always be willing to cook you a hamburger or offer you a drink. During many away games, he would always open up his house and welcome friends or even strangers to come over and again would always offer food or beverages. He loved his son so very much. He gave up so much of his time to play ball with William or to coach one of his teams. He always had so much joy in his voice or in the tone of his e-mails when he talked about William's accomplishments in his baseball or football games. I enjoyed hearing his accounts, but I regret not being able to attend more of his and William's games.

I think the fact that Brian was on the minds of so many people at the Georgia Tech/NC State baseball game on Saturday and the fact that so many people have expressed their sentiments on this Hive thread shows what an extraordinary person Brian is. It's going to be tough for me to go on without my friend Brian; I can't imagine how much tougher it will be for Kimberly and William to go on without the husband and father they loved so much. I really hope that William is able to go on and live a normal life, and I hope that when he is older and able to understand everything that happened, that he doesn't blame himself for his dad's death or live the rest of his life with feelings of guilt.

Rest in peace, Brian. I will miss you.

Brian Wynne -- Larger than life !!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Mon, 28 May 2007 12:29:00 +0000

Tim and I met Brian, Kimberly and Will when the newly renovated Russ Chandler Stadium was opened in spring of 2002. They sat directly behind us in Section 10 and over the last 5 years, we have come to count them among our good friends. There are almost 20 people in the Section 10 group and this loss is devastating for all of us. There is a hole that will never be filled and we will miss him very much.

The first thing that comes to mind when we think of Brian is what a loving husband and devoted father he was. We have commented many times about how he and Kimberly approach parenting and what a wonderful job they are doing with Will. They spend a lot of time teaching and explaining things to Will with such patience. We have watched him grow over the last 5 years into a wonderful little boy and he will be a wonderful man...just like his dad !!

Whenever we crossed paths with Brian at the many sporting events we shared (Georgia Tech baseball, football, basketball and Atlanta Thrashers hockey ), he was always smiling and genuinely happy to see his friends. Brian was such a generous person...he'd not only give you his shirt if you needed it, he would launder and iron it first. Brian never met a stranger and was always quick to invite anyone and everyone to come by their infamous tailgates at O'Keefe. He had a true sense of right and wrong and was raising Will to be the same way. Brian just exuded goodness and was always a pleasure to be around.

We will never forget Brian aka Beewin aka Wha? guy. He will live on in our hearts and we will cherish the memories we mad eover the short time we knew him. God bless Brian, his family and friends. May we draw closer and find peace in the coming days as we celebrate Brian's life.

With much love, Robin and Tim Norris

Visitation and Memorial Service

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Sun, 27 May 2007 18:47:00 +0000

GT Zealot posted this information on GoJackets.com.

Visitation is Tuesday, 4:00-8:00 PM at the H.M. Patterson & Son-Spring Hill Chapel at 1020 Spring Street NW; Atlanta, GA 30309.

The Memorial Service is Wednesday, 2:00 PM at the Peachtree Baptist Church at 2108 Briarcliff Rd. E; Atlanta, GA 30329.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Brian Wynne to The Masonic Children’s Home of Georgia.

News Coverage

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Sun, 27 May 2007 05:17:00 +0000

Brian's story is being told on the local tv stations and in the local newspaper.

My Fox Atlanta - video in link

Atlanta Journal Constitution

WSB-TV

Macon Telegraph

Please add any additional sources you find in the comments.

Picture Day 2000

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Sun, 27 May 2007 02:07:00 +0000

It was always a thrill for Brian to go to picture day. Look how young William was. He has been going since we can remember. Brian was a true Jacket.

~Clif

Remembering a Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne) — Sat, 26 May 2007 16:25:00 +0000

Brian was one of those guys that would do anything for anybody and was just a neat guy to hang around. He was a groomsman in our wedding over 6 years ago. The picture above was taken at a wedding shower they gave us. We had lost touch recently and only saw him, Kimberly, and William at GT games. That we now regret.

We have the typical helpless feelings when something like this happens. As we were talking about what we could do for Kimberly and William that was tangible, we decided to start this blog. This is a place where people can post, read, comment, and give.

In the next few days, we will be setting up an account for people to donate in memory of Brian for Kimberly and William. Our first thought was for an educational fund for William, but Kimberly knows best what they need.

We will post more as we gather our thoughts and find some more pictures. We are still in shock as all of you are. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and pictures, please send them via email here for posting:

We'll always remember the fun we had our tailgates.

Love,
Clif and Lynne