I can just imagine how your life would have been now with Ody in it.  You and Reva would be walking on air, so proud of your little Ody.  I saw Ody in a picture with your little dog Dodger laying beside Ody.  Dodger looked so content and accepting of Ody.  It made me smile and think of you.  I have days of sadness too when I think of how close you and Reva came to meeting Ody.  If you two could have just stuck around a little longer, but I know our good Lord called both of you home, it was your time to go as we all have our appointed times.  There is peace in knowing that one day we will all be together again as one big happy family, and on that day Ody will get to meet his Papaw and Mamaw, and all of his relatives.  I miss and love you so much. 

On June 6, 2023 Brandon & Krystal blessed You & Reva with the sweetest little grandson which they named Ody Hatcher.  I know that you are proudly looking down from heaven at your very first grandchild with love and admiration.  

Brian, I know that we talked about it many times and that you wished for a grandchild of your very own.  I can just see your reaction and your excitement, and imagine how proud you would have been.  I can imagine you taking Ody out of Krystal's arms and proudly walking out of the hospital room to show Odie off to all that you would encounter.  As your sister Sharon said, you would probably just take Odie and walk straight out of the hospital with him and try to take him home with you, while Reva would chase after you and say, "Brian, bring him back here!"  

Both you and Reva would have had Odie spoiled rotten and Brandon would have to try to pry Ody out of your arms to take him home with him & Krystal.  They'd never have to worry about a babysitter because you and Reva would always be available.  I wish you could have been here, both you and Reva, but I know that you two will try to send messages to Brandon now and then, and when you do Brandon will smile.  You raised a good boy who has turned into a wonderful responsible young man.  Brandon will be a good loving kind father.  Brandon & Krystal will be wonderful parents.      

I thought of you today when I saw a Cardinal, and I think of you each time that I see a butterfly or a flower.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of you.  The other night you were even in my dreams.  It's not the first time.  You, Jimmy and your dad were all in one of my dreams last week together, along with Rick.
 It was so hard to sleep right after you left us, but now that you appear in my dreams I fall right to sleep and have no trouble sleeping anymore.  Thank you for being such a wonderful loving son for the short time that you were here.  If our love could have kept you here, you would have lived forever, but God had other plans for you. Our selfishness wants you here with us, but now you are pain free and free to fly as a bird and you are now whole, happy and healthy there in Heaven, and I know that you wouldn't want to come back here if you were given the choice.  Someday we'll all join you and we'll be a whole family again.  I can't wait to see you there in Heaven.

This year was the very first year that I spent Mother's Day without my only son, Brian, since the day he was born.  It was a life changing event for me and for our entire family.  Brian loved giving me flowers, like hanging baskets.  Sometimes he would bring it by early and I would find a beautiful hanging basket of petunias hanging on my front porch.  He loved surprising me, but I always suspected that they were from Brian, and sometimes he would wait until Mother's Day to give them to me.  One year he gave me a beautiful pink peony and he planted it next to my chain-link fence near another peony, which has since died out.  I'm not really sure if this peony was given to me on Mother's Day or on my birthday, but it reminds me of Brian each time I look at it.   Brian's peony is doing great, but sometimes I'm afraid that the neighbors chickens will accidentally scratch it up out of the ground.  Early this Spring, Tommy (Rick's brother) thought it was a dead weed and tried to pull it out, but Rick thankfully stopped him.  That was a close call.  Brian must have loved peonies because he planted two on each side of his dad's gravestone.  Brian's headstone is right next to one of those peonies that he himself planted.  The picture is of the beautiful peony that Brian planted for me in my yard one year.  I have to give credit where credit is due, because the peony and all of the Mother's Day flowers were also from Reva, Brian's loving wife. 

Christmas was always one of Brian's favorite holidays.  He loved everything about it.  The Christmas shopping for presents and the baking and cooking that he and Reva always did.  We looked forward to the surprises that Brian would bring us to eat on Christmas Day.  Brian and Reva were both such good cooks and Brian would make his famously delicious cheeseball every year, and Reva would bring her chicken dish and homemade mac n cheese.

Brian was like a child at Christmastime.  He would get so excited about all the gifts and would gladly help all the children put their gifts together with a smile.  Sometimes I would get a slow start getting my candy making and baking started and Brian would come over and help me get started.  Even tho he was a diabetic he loved my peanut butter and chocolate fudges.  And when it was time for him to leave for home on Christmas,  Brian would always go into my freezer, because he knew that in there he could always find an extra loaf of banana nut bread that was in there for him to take home with him.  I always made him an extra loaf or two.

We're all going to miss Brian this Christmas.  And again I'm having a hard time getting started with my candy making and baking this year, and even tho I thought about it, I can't call Brian to come over and help me out this year.  When I needed Christmas cheer and to get motivated and into the Christmas spirit, Brian would always come over and lend a helping hand and a cheerful spirit, and before long we had Christmas carols playing in the background as we worked on making Christmas the best day that it could be for all who came by on Christmas Day.         

Brian, we got a stone marker for you and I hope that you don't mind too much, but we put it next to your dad's grave.  Suzanne and I did that so that we could visit you from time to time.  You were always a good listener and sometimes we just want to sit and talk to you a while like we did when you were here.  Reva is going to scatter some of your ashes where you said that you wanted to be scattered and Suzanne, Rick and I took a small amount to bury by your stone.  I really miss you and I'm so glad that we have so many pictures of you, so many good memories too, and saved voice messages to listen to when we need to hear your voice.  I know that you are in a better place, the place that we are all striving to be, Heaven, but we still miss you here with us.  I love you Son and I hope you like your headstone.

Brian was born on March 2, 1962 at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Camp Pendleton, California to parents, James E. Hatcher & Margo Sandra Diaz Hatcher. Brian died suddenly at his home in Berea, Kentucky.  He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother Mary Sue Hatcher, his grandfather George Bryan Hatcher, maternal grandfather Thomas Diaz, his father James E. Hatcher, and his uncle Gilbert Anthony Diaz.  He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Reva Courtney Hatcher, sons Brian Douglas Hatcher and Brandon Gene Hatcher, step grandchildren Makayla Paige & Tanner, his mother Margo Sandra Hatcher Wallace (Rick Agee), his two sisters, Sharon J. Walker (Scott), Suzanne Powell (Orville Ray), uncle Thomas Dennis Diaz (Laurel Rose), Nephews Mathew Powell, Zachary Morris (Jennifer), niece Megan Malear (James), cousin Allison Purcell, cousin Thomas Eli Diaz (Aprilyn), great-nephews Carson Powell, Myles Malear, Jack Morris, great-niece Lyv Malear, aunt Jennie Kurtz Diaz and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and one great-aunt, Virginia Dandridge of California, Natasha, Eliana and Talon Purcell.

James BRIAN Hatcher lived a good full life.  His family always came first and he loved them with all his heart.  He was a momma's boy too.  He was a very intelligent young man and spent a good portion of his life studying and earning degrees.  He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering in 1996. Brian had many talents and hobbies, and among those were his woodworking skills.  He made wooden bowls and carved walking sticks.  He crafted jewelry, knife handles and made leather pouches & sheaths.  He loved riding motorcycles and spent his last few months rebuilding a beautiful red scooter.  His accomplishments were many.  He also had a green thumb and was an excellent cook, a talent he had since his early years in middle school.  

James BRIAN Hatcher was cremated on November 12, 2020 and will be laid to rest near his father's grave on Buffalo Hollow Rd. in Rockcastle County, Ky. and another portion of his ashes will be scattered in his favorite childhood home away from home, a cabin on the Licking River in Robertson County, Ky. where he spent every weekend and every summer playing, fishing, swimming and exploring nature as a child with his parents and his two sisters.  We all miss and loved Brian with all of our hearts, and are heartbroken, but we all know that one day we will all be together again.