· Brian would
always be one of the last to show up at a family gathering (e.g., Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Bat Mitzvah’s, etc.,) and the first to leave. Usually, because he “had to go somewhere.”
· All the McCormick
men - except Patrick - have been hurt while fishing (yes, fishing.) Dad hurt
his shoulder in Brazil as he was trying to get away from the “ugliest,
hairiest spider in the world” while showering on the boat. He slipped, fell and hurt his shoulder. Dad eventually required surgery. Brian, in his usually Christian manner said
at breakfast: “Hey, did you hear that a****** fall in the shower?” Dad: “That
a******* was me.” Brian (laughing) “oh.” Matt got his ear caught on a fishing hook in
Costa Rica. Brian (again in a Christian
manner): “Mom is going to be mad that you pierced your ear.” Brian dislocated his knee in Canada while
trying to push a huge boulder into the lake.
Brilliant, we are all simply brilliant - and fishing is really dangerous - just to the McCormick men!
· He was always humming. Usually, during happy times like eating. Brian liked to eat good stuff and was always
finding the most exotic foods. He was a
regular at Jungle Jim’s. Case in point,
he loved to drink Coca-Cola from Mexico because it used real cane sugar instead
of the “processed crap” we had in the states.
It was too sweet for my taste.
But, seriously, who in the hell would know this except Brian?
· Like most
McCormick men, Brian could sometimes pull arcane facts out of his arse. I loved his stories about the College Bowl
quiz team at Xavier. He named the team “Bye”
in hopes that other team would believe they would not have to show up. Brilliant – but did not work. Brian told me that "Team Bye" played a bunch of
nerds. He especially did well and (I
think) the team won. Brian, being his usually
gracious self, rubbed it in. Brian then
told me right after the match he had to go to a disciplinary board meeting
that was chaired by "Team Nerd’s" captain.
Amazingly, Brian got off with a warning.
I think about Brian every day and will
always miss him. Man, he had personality
and made an impact on everyone he knew.
Love you Brian!
