GAY CRESWELL BRINSON, JR., son of Gay C. Brinson and Lelia Wendelkin Brinson, was born on the 13th of June 1925 in Kingsville, Texas, and died on Saturday, the 1st of May 2010. "Gaylord," as he was known to his friends, was educated at Georgia Military Academy (presently Woodward Academy) in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a student at the University of Illinois and received his J.D. in 1957 from the Law Center, the University of Houston. He was certified in civil trial law, personal injury trial law and family law. He was a Diplomate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Among the organizations to which he belonged were the Texas Association Defense Counsel, Phi Delta Phi, the Federation of Insurance Counsel, and was a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.From 1957 1959, Gay was a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. and Salt Lake City, Utah. He was a trial attorney with Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Houston, and earlier an associate lawyer with Horace Brown, Houston. He practiced law with Vinson and Elkins beginning in 1964, became a partner in 1967, and continued his practice until he retired from V&E in 1996. He then became counsel with McFall and Associates until around 2001. In addition, he was a member of the St. Charles Bay Hunting Club, the Houston Center Club, and the Briar Club. Gay served with the 84th Division at the Battle of the Bulge, WWII. After the war, he played the saxophone, clarinet and flute with a number of dance bands, travelling around the country until settling in Houston in the early 1950's. Gay was most proud of his Instrument Flight Rating and enjoyed flying as a hobby. His survivors include his loving wife of 31 years, Bette Butter Brinson, his son Thomas Wade Brinson and his wife Cynthia Brinson, M.D. of Austin, Texas, and his daughter, Mary Kaye Brinson of Alexandria, Virginia. The family wishes to thank the physicians who saw to Gay's care. Some of those are Drs. Lasek, Kaldis, Hamill, Livingston, Achari, Doer, Bedell, Suku and Swillman.F riends are cordially invited to gather with the family for a graveside service and interment to be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 4th of May, at Glenwood Cemetery, 2525 Washington Avenue in Houston, where Canon Rhoda Montgomery, of Christ Church Cathedral, is to officiate. Immediately following the interment, all are invited to join the family for a reception to be held at a venue to be announced during the service. In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Gay's name be directed to the University of Houston Law Center, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX, 77004.
Published in Houston Chronicle on May 3, 2010