Right At Home

My sister-in-law, Jennifer Parmely’s partner, Brian Cratty is probably as close as I’ll ever know to a true mountain man. No, he doesn’t live alone in the wilderness, but he probably could. He loves the mountains, loves spending countless hours up at their cabin on Casper Mountain or riding the biking trails, or watching the animals that live and roam through their property. Brian is totally in his element on the mountain. I’m sure that his love of the outdoors is a big part of the attraction for Jennifer. She is a serious outdoor woman too. They always have similar goals and ideas too.

Brian is a very compassionate, kind, and loving. He can usually read a situation and knows very well what needs to be done to comfort people. That was really one of the first things I saw in him, when my father-in-law (Jennifer’s dad) passed away. He was there for her…a quiet strength. It was much appreciated by all of us. We all felt his compassion. That was such a hard day, as were the days following the loss of our other parents, but that day stood out in my mind, because he just made us all feel…loved.

Brian is a good man. He plays with Jennifer’s grandchildren, making them feel special. He is a wonderful grandpa to them. I’m not sure what the kids call Brian, but in keeping with the German word for Grandma (Oma), I would assume it might be Opa. It doesn’t really matter, because the kids love him, and they have a great time with him. Brian is a person who gets along well with just about anyone, and kids pick up on that stuff too.

Brian has been a pilot for most of his life. He was a helicopter pilot in the US Army, from October 1968 to April 1971. Then when he got out of the Army, he became a Life Flight pilot at Wyoming Medical Center (Banner Health) from October 1984 to December 2006. When he left Banner Health, he flew for Business Aviators, Inc from December 2006 to 2015, when he retired. These days, he is still a pilot, but a lot of his “flying” is done on a bicycle. Today is Briam’s birthday. Happy birthday Brian!! Have a great day!! We love you!!