Brady Wallace Surber

   Brady Wallace Surber, 28 of Vernon, died on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, in Wichita Falls. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 at the First Presbyterian Church. Officiating will be the Rev. Dave Treat and Lamont Brown. Interment will be held at Wilbarger Memorial Park under the direction of Sullivan Funeral Home.
   Brady was born Tuesday, April 29, 1986 in Vernon. He was the son of Jim and Pamela Wallace Surber.
   He was a 2005 graduate of Vernon High School.  He was a graduate of Sul Ross State University in 2009 with a Bachelors of Science, majoring in Natural Resource Management with his concentration on   Wildlife Management. He was an Agriculture Research Technician II at Texas A & M Research Center in Lockett.
   During high school, Brady played football all four years and participated in track during his sophomore and junior years. He was a member of the Art Honor Society, serving as treasurer and president of the organization. Among other extracurricular activities he was involved in were the Student Council and the Gifted and Talented Program.
    Scouting was a major part of Brady’s youth beginning with Tiger Cubs in first grade. He was a member of the Order of the Arrow Wichita Lodge 35 since 2001. He served as OA Chapter vice chief and OA Lodge Chief for the Greenbelt Chapter of Wichita Lodge 35, He enjoyed participating in Scout summer camps, including Philmont. Brady achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2003. He received the Vigil Honor in the Order of the Arrow and was a Council Youth Delegate for the 2004 Report to State.
   Brady was a true naturalist and spent as much time as he could outdoors watching and interacting with wildlife, especially birds. He began recording observed bird data when he was 8 years old.
   Brady experienced many opportunities interacting with nature. He maintained Blue Bird nest boxes at Washita National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. He performed bat emergence counts in Jeff Davis County, Texas. He mist-netted and banded Cave Swallows in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. He performed spotlight census for Mule Deer in Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Brewster County. Brady participated in Christmas Bird Counts in a variety of locations. He aided in hummingbird monitoring and training at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute in Jeff Davis County. Brady trapped, collared and tracked  Gray Foxes in Brewster County. He tracked Montezuma Quail in Patagonia, Ariz,. and made a  specialized funnel trap for catching them. He trapped, measured and banded hummingbirds in the Christmas Mountains. He performed Wintering Grassland Bird Surveys in the Trans-Pecos region. He helped with the “Big Day” raising money for Wild Bird Rescue in Wichita Falls.
   Brady was proud to be part of the wildlife and agricultural research that resulted in several publications through Texas A & M Agrilife Research. He honored the friendships of those he worked with.
    He loved his family, both immediate, extended and by marriage, and always enjoyed being involved in holiday and family get-togethers. He especially loved and enjoyed playing with his nieces, Kristin and Katie. He married the love of his life, Tiffany Ann Dyer, on Oct.19, 2013.
   Brady looked at his experience with cancer as a way to witness. He made everyone aware of how you can still keep the faith and have a positive outlook even when bad things happen. When there was a setback he always said it was a good thing: “It’s just another part of my testimony.”
   Brady is survived by his wife Tiffany of Vernon and her family; parents, Jim and Pam Surber of Vernon; brother Jeff, sister-in-law Judy and nieces, Kristin and Katie of Wichita Falls; his great-aunt and uncle, Marvine and Clyde Newberry, better known as Nana and PaPa of Wichita Falls; many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.
   Visitation will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 at at Sullivan Funeral Home.
   Memorials can be made to First Presbyterian Church, Hospice of Wichita Falls or Wild Bird Rescue of Wichita Falls.
   Online condolences may be made to the family at www.sullivanfuneralhomevernon.com