CESARIO, BRANDI MICHELLE and her twin brother Mike were bom April 23, 1974 in Clearlake, Texas. Never one to avoid the spotlight, she spent her youth studying and performing dance, as well as competing in pageants. Brandi began studying dance at six and excelled at tap, jazz and ballet. She was consistently honored for her dance performances and her beaming personality at pageants throughout the Houston area. She also enjoyed acting and was performing in community theatre at Alvin Junior College by age 12. Brandi's second childhood passion was for animals. She loved spending time with horses, Himalayan cats and all types of dogs. As a teenager, she developed dog training skills that she carried with her throughout her life. These skills were put to good use with her dog, Niko, who was her constant companion over the last three years of her life. In 1992, Brandi met the love of her life, Richard Cesario, while atte?ding Tulane University in New Orleans. The two big personalities immediately made a connection and it was only a matter of time before the football player married the beauty queen. Her love for her husband was only matched by her love for her children. Robert Anthony Cesario was born June 30, 1993, followed by Brenden Alexander Cesario on June 8, 2000, and Mackenzie Danielle Cesario on May 9, 2002. Words cannot describe the depth and width of her love for her family. Brandi always looked back fondly on the ten years the family spent in Las Vegas. The city was as vibrant as she was. Beyond the various shows and the lobster bisque at Kokomo's at the Mirage, Las Vegas had provided her the opportunity to serve as the Director of the Nevada Society of CPAs. The four year term was a source of great joy and pride. In 2007, Brandi's life was forever altered by an auto accident that severely damaged her right knee. During a routine procedure to repair tissue in this knee, she contracted a life-threatening strain of multidrug resistant staph (MRSA) and by the grace of God survived. However, the infection impeded proper treatment of the injury, caused the deterioration of the joint and fostered accumulation of painful scar tissue. This pain was a battle that Brandi fought each day for the rest of her life. In 2010, she finally obtained the knee replacement she had long been hoping for. Finally, she was able to regain the range of motion she had lost and have some relief from her daily pain. She felt that she had finally won her battle and had hope for an active future. Through this trying time, Brandi had shown her children what it means to be a fighter. Never giving up hope, but facing each day's challenges head on. In a world that provides no promises and no guarantees Brandi had taken the cards dealt her and lived a life of honor. She will be greatly missed by all whose lives she touched. She is survived by her husband, Richard Cesario and their three children Robert, Brenden and Mackenzie. She is also survived by her parents, Bob and Margaret Crossley; brothers Curtis Estes, Mike Estes and Shannon Estes; step-siblings Sarah Hetherington and Matthew Crossley; and a large extended family.