A Brother’s Perspective

By Justin Magalassi

Written in 2005

Brandon Magalassi was my brother. He was almost 15 years old with a bright future ahead of him when he decided to take his own life. He touched the lives of all who knew him with his good nature and kind spirit. Brandon had many passions and things that he loved to spend time doing. One particular passion of his was animals. Brandon loved animals and could often be found in the back yard playing with our family's two dogs, Abby and Big. He also loved to spend time out in the woods hunting with Dad, Uncle Brian, and myself. Brandon was the source of many laughs and good memories that were made at deer camp during hunting season. When not hunting he enjoyed a great number of other pastimes including sports. When Brandon and I were younger we played on the same baseball team. Brandon played second base, and I played on third. One of my favorite memories of our baseball careers was during a game when Brandon caught a pop fly and threw the ball to me so I could tag a runner out as he headed to third. After that play we became known as the Magalassi Duo. Being quite the social butterfly, Brandon loved to spend time with his friends, who were numerous. Aside from being popular among his guy friends, Brandon was a whiz with the ladies with his charm and good looks. Looking fashionable at all times was a must, whether it was just going to school or going out on a weekend night. I have endless memories of my brother, but what I miss most are the simple times that we shared. Whether it was spending all day in the pool during the summer, staying up late and playing video games or just sitting in our room late at night just talking about life and what we wanted to do when we got older. Losing Brandon changed my life in a way that I never thought possible. Not only did I lose a family member, but I lost my best friend.