Empathetic, accepting, generous, funny, creative
The Bettencourt boys, or as their mother called them, the Three Musketeers, consisted of oldest brother Christopher, middle child Jay, and the youngest, Brandon. They were thick as thieves and fiercely protected each other.
They especially defended Brandon, who was heavyset, wore glasses, and dealt with learning disabilities, which made him a target for school bullies. Despite the cruelty of others, he sported a tenacious smile and ball cap with “Be Happy” stitched into it. He always had a bear hug or a joke ready to brighten someone’s day and found humor in everything. When he inevitably laughed, a silly giggle would slip incongruously from his sizable frame, and it was simply impossible to not be joyful around him.
Part of his humor was playing harmless pranks, and this made for a memorable Secret Santa Christmas party. Brandon had a talent for miniature figurines and dedicated an entire dresser to displaying exquisitely detailed, hand-painted miniatures shellacked to perfection. When he got his friend for the party, a mother to twins with an unsurprisingly messy car, he had the perfect gift idea. He beautifully wrapped a stunning replica of her unkempt minivan, complete with candy wrappers, soda cans, and clothes pouring out. Everyone at the party, including his friend, broke into hysterics.
Brandon’s creativity was with him from a young age. He loved to draw and design intricate creatures, and this talent would serve him well in the future. He tried numerous jobs after graduating high school, but none of them accommodated his disability. After many unsuccessful roles, Brandon played to his strengths, focusing on art. Once he got his first tattoo, he knew exactly the medium work in. He began sharing designs with friends, and so many wanted his tattoo that he attended a renowned Detroit school and became licensed. Brandon specialized in horror-themed and traditional style tattoos and dreamt of opening his own shop one day.
The money Brandon made tattooing supplemented his meager disability income, and though he had little, that didn’t prevent him from sharing. If a friend needed a place to sleep, he readily welcomed into his humble studio apartment.
With all his positive qualities, Brandon attracted many friends, like his best pal Kevin, who was the younger brother of Jay’s friend Danny. The four spent so much time together camping during New Hampshire summers that the Bettencourt’s became additional sons in their family.
Brandon’s family was unaware of his substance use, and when Jay called saying he’d found Brandon deceased in his apartment, it shocked them to their core. After some time, his mother discovered peer grief support meetings and trained to be a group facilitator and peer grief ally. Just as Brandon transformed his hardships into happiness he could share with others, his family transmutes their grief into healing for their community, and in this way, his optimistic spirit lives on through them.
Brandon’s parents, Janice Kaplan and Else Bettencourt, provided the information for this narrative. November 27, 1977-December 21, 2013–Age 36
Portrait Artist: Jeremy Hebbel
Narrative Writer: Willow Kline
