Supporting Brian Cummings Family in his Loving Memory

It is with broken hearts we share that our brother-in-law, Brian Cummings, passed away suddenly from a heart attack, this past Sunday evening 6/23. He had just turned 39 on June 4th.

We are creating this fund on behalf of our sister, Abbey, Brian’s wife and partner since they were 19. Brian and Abbey share 3 beautiful children together, Lincoln 8, Novalee 5, and Remy 3. Brian was the only source of income for his family, with no plan in place for this unfathomable event. We are all still reeling, and having an extremely difficult time believing that this is actually happening. What we do know is that our sister, nephews, and niece will need support from anyone who is willing and able.

To know Brian was to love him. He lit up any room he walked into and filled it with laughter. The laughter of others but also his signature animated giggle, which made you laugh even if what he said wasn’t funny (although it probably was). He had a quote from the Big Lebowski or Ace Ventura ready for any situation or conversation, making everyday life feel like a movie. He was an extremely outgoing and personable person, and made true friendships everywhere he went. It didn’t matter if you knew him for 20 minutes or 20 years, he would ask you the most engaging questions and get down to the core of who you were, because he truly wanted to know. Also known as Bri Guy the Fly Guy, he was the absolute coolest. He exuded pure swagger and had the dance moves to show for it. He would wash the floor with anyone in the middle of a dance circle and leave no prisoners. In addition to breaking out in random dance, no matter what time of day, he would throw in some goalie moves and lunges whenever he so pleased. You couldn’t blame the guy, he had two national championships at West Genny and 4 years of Fisher lacrosse under his belt and one hell of a goalkeeper legacy. He went on to coach thousands of players in Syracuse, Rochester, and Chicago and was a role model to all of them.

Above all else, he was an absolutely outstanding father. He was the kind of dad you see in pixar movies (which he watched a lot of) but funnier. He was his children’s best friend. His love of sports and burly, larger than life presence was passed down to his two boys, but at the same time, being a girl dad was second nature for him. He never let Novalee go a day without knowing she was the most beautiful girl in the world. He played floor hockey with Lincoln and Remy at the drop of a hat, even if he had just walked through the door after a 12hr shift. His big family and countless friends will always remember him for these things, but so, so much more.

In addition to our love and support, our goal is to help Abbey and the kids as much as possible, for as long as needed with both unexpected costs and general living expenses. As the sole income provider for his family, we have a long road ahead sorting out finances, and it feels surreal to even be writing this. Any amount is appreciated more than we can express, but our goal reflects one year of Brian's salary.

Calling hours: Friday 6/28 4p - 7p

Funeral service: Saturday 6/29 11a

Both will be held at Most Holy Rosary Church in Syracuse