Eugene Brams

Eugene Arnold Brams passed away peacefully with his children and caregivers by his side the evening of April 15, 2019.  Although we are saddened by his loss, there is much to celebrate in appreciating the life he embraced and those he changed through his experiences.Eugene Brams was born in 1923 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He grew up with his parents Morris and Bella and his brother Seymour.  After graduating high school, he attended college at the University of Wisconsin and after a brief period of time joined the armed forces in World War II.  After attending officer’s school, he became a naval officer and was assigned to the Pacific theatre.  He was assigned to the LST 574 (land, ship and tank) where he successfully fulfilled his duties from 1941 to 1945.  During that time, he was involved in several major battles including the Battle of Leyte, Mindanao Straits and Lengayen Gulf.  During his time, he was engaged in Japanese plane attacks, submarine assaults and ship to ship combat.  He received several honors for his commitment to protecting the United States.He graduated from the University of Wisconsin and met Patricia Craig at the university.  After their courtship, they married in 1950 and had 4 children between 1954 and 1969.  They resided in Miami, Florida for many years.  He created his own indoor plant fertilizer business until returning to school.  After earning his doctorate in agronomy from The University of Florida in 1967, he was given the opportunity to reside in Sierra Leone, Africa through a grant from the University of Illinois where he assisted villagers in how to cultivate their lands and produce crops for financial and physical sustainability.  After returning to the United States, the family moved to Houston, TX. , where he received a faculty position at Texas A & M University and Prairie View A & M.  During this time, he taught numerous graduate students in the soil sciences and had a research station outside of Prairie View, TX.  He was involved in numerous research projects and brought in millions of dollars in grant money for projects and to advance student placement and experience.  After several decades on faculty, he retired in 1995 but has always been involved in agricultural sciences including yearly presentations on the Texas A & M campus.During his time as a professor, he began on a life-long journey of self-taught sculpting skills and created multiple statues with the use of alabaster stone.  In all, he produced approximately 35 sculptures and has donated the overwhelming majority to various institutions including The University of Texas Health Science Center, Center for Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine and Life Flight Trauma Unit.  He was the president of his civic association and volunteered many years at local schools to teach students about science and established a distance learning program to bring graduate student tutelage to the classroom.  Included in his volunteer efforts was his dedication to the safety and rights of children as a volunteer for Child Advocates (CASA) and his dedication to literacy in the community.  Eugene had many accomplishments which reflected his good nature, genuineness and engagement with others, humility, idealistic thinking, and his love for both the sciences and arts.Eugene is survived in memory by his wife, Patricia of 68 years, four children: Jolie, Craig, Matthew and Andrew; his three daughters-in-law: Sloane, Alice and Melissa; and his four grandchildren: Evan, Lauren, Emily and Abigail.Graveside services were held at Emanu El Memorial Park on Thursday, April 18th, Rabbi Roy A. Walter officiating.In lieu of flowers or donations to the family, the family would appreciate donations of any kind to environmental causes as preservation of the environment was one of his passions.