Ms. Carole Tyler, the long-time secretary at my alma mater, phoned me last Thursday morning and while I hoped against hope the news was not bad, I almost expected it to be.
Unfortunately, I was right.
Ms. Tyler was calling to tell me that a member of my high school graduation class — the Class of 1989 — had died suddenly and she wanted to let me know. She did not know many details and I told her I would also see what I could find out. The news stunned me the rest of the day and, to be honest, still has me stunned.
Chris Gayler and I were classmates from kindergarten through twelfth grade at Piedmont Academy down the road in Monticello. Similar to George Walton Academy and Loganville Christian Academy, it was not out of the ordinary for students to attend the same school for 13 years. Now the number of years can be even more as private schools often offer classes for K-3 and K-4.
Chris, known to all who knew him as “Brillo” for his extremely curly hair, was a classmate for all 13 years. He was also one of my closest neighbors growing up. In rural Monticello, a close neighbor wasn’t literally inches away from you. In this case, we lived a mile apart.
It remained that way for all of our years at Piedmont. Eventually Brillo moved to Florida and his parents and older brothers also moved elsewhere.
Yet, even today when I drove past the entrance to where they used to leave, I always look over and think “The Gaylers.”
Brillo was one of the smartest people I’ve ever had the chance to know. One can be smart in a number of ways.
There is the old-fashioned way of studying for hours upon end. There’s nothing wrong with that. That approach takes a level of dedication that not everyone possesses.
Brillo, however, was always what I called “naturally” smart. He was one who could find a way to make an “A” on a test that he knew nothing about. He would always be the last one to finish taking an exam as it seemed if he just looked at the sheet of paper in front of him long enough that the answers would eventually enter his mind. I always envied that because no amount of looking at the test questions were going to make the answers magically appear for me.
Brillo was a quality athlete as well. He helped our football team finish as state runner-up in 1987 and 1988.
During our senior season, he was a tough, hard-nosed fullback in a hybrid option offense our coach schemed to take advantage of the three quality running backs we had, Brillo included.
I remember joking with him once that he probably used some mathematical equation to determine the best blocking angles against opposing players. He smiled and replied, “Don’t tell anyone.”
He was also a standout tennis player who showed another level of his diversity.
After we graduated high school in 1989, Brillo attended Georgia Tech earning a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and masters degree in aerospace engineering. Seems I was more than right about his level of brilliance.
For more than 25 years he worked as a Department of Defense civilian culminating with the Defense Contracting Management Agency (DCMA).
After high school, our paths eventually did not cross as much and he eventually moved to Florida. It’s a common thing. Life and distance got in the way.
But we both knew we were part of a special group of 18 seniors in the Class of 1989. Sadly, Brillo is the third one we have lost way too soon.
I still remember the days we would ride bikes back and forth from our houses. While Brillo did it without a bit of trouble, I realized just how far a mile was, even in my days of being much smaller and in much better shape.
We were not only part of the same class but we almost identical in age, his birthday on May 10, 1971 and mine less than a few weeks later on May 27.
Brillo is survived by his parents, James Max and Patricia Gayler, brothers Jim and Bill Gayler and several nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand nephews. A celebration of life service is being planned for later this month in Covington.
Chris Bridges is managing editor of The Walton Tribune, a sister publication of The Covington News. Email comments about this column to chris.bridges@waltontribune.com.
