Charles Paul Bram

Charles (Charlie) Paul Bram, age 61, of Manassas, Virginia, passed away on June 25, 2022, after 7 years of having stage 4 colon cancer. Charlie was born on January 31, 1961, in Washington, DC to Joseph (Joe) Bram and Leila Dragonette Bram. Charlie and his twin sister Marion are the youngest of four children, with brothers Alan and Rick. Charlie grew up in Arlington, VA, attending Birchwood Preschool (later to learn he was the ‘Birchwood barfer!’), Nottingham Elementary School, and Williamsburg Middle School, and he graduated from both HB Woodlawn and Yorktown High schools. Charlie attended the New England Conservatory of Music, and then he received a bachelor’s degree in music and math education from James Madison University where he met his best friend and life partner, Terrie McClure, at the JMU Marching Royal Dukes summer band camp in 1984. Charlie and Terrie were married on December 26, 1992, in the mountains of Montreat, North Carolina where they spent time every summer with extended family.

Charlie was an exceptional trumpet player; he played professionally with the Clyde Beatty Cole Circus band, the Kaleidoscope Orchestra Big Band (they were the Bolling Air Force Base Officers’ Club house dance band and performed throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area), the McLean Symphony, the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra, the BELwinds family band, plus countless ensemble gigs. In college, he played lead trumpet in New England’s Medium Rare Big Band (where he performed with Dizzy Gillespie), and at JMU starred in the 300+ member Marching Royal Dukes. He also loved to listen to music, especially Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. In addition to his musical talents, Charlie was an avid mathematician who taught high school and tutored students on everything from algebra to differential equations.

Charlie was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 9. In 1991, he participated in a special National Institutes of Health (NIH) program where they conducted a temporal lobectomy to stop his seizures. This surgery allowed him to drive which he really enjoyed. In later years, he worked as an Uber driver and met many people who loved his rides and conversations.

Charlie has many family members and friends who love and adore him including Terrie McClure of Manassas, VA; his sister Marion Bram Dragonette (Chris Tonozzi) of Glenwood Springs, CO; his brothers Rick Bram (LuAnn) of Rochester, MN, and Alan Bram (Etsuko) of San Francisco, CA; his nieces and nephews Michaela Bram, Chris Bram and Alanna Bram of Rochester, MN; Nico Tonozzi and Leo Tonozzi of Colorado.

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, July 7 at 7:00 pm EST via Zoom.

Here is the Zoom meeting info:

Bull Run UU BRUU is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Charlie’s Celebration of Life

Time: Jul 7, 2022, 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://tinyurl.com/CharliesMemorial

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https://zoom.us/j/94181997782?pwd=OEhBb21VTmlqbVhxQUVZajNwZVhvUT09

Meeting ID: 941 8199 7782

Passcode: 381513

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