Nov. 6, 2008
Neil Brake, whose thousands of photographs of the Vanderbilt community over the past eight years will serve forever as a resource for anyone interested in the history of the university, died Nov. 4 at his home outside of Nashville. He was 47.
The funeral will be held graveside at 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at Spring Hill Cemetery at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Visitation with the family will precede the service from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Heritage Chapel Funeral Home in Tuscaloosa.
Athletes, scientists, doctors, administrators, students, faculty and many staff members at Vanderbilt were captured for posterity by Brake, a gentle and indefatigable presence who was a master at putting his subjects at ease. In the past year he worked as senior photographer for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but during his Vanderbilt career he also served as photographer for the Vanderbilt Register, the science Web site Exploration and many other university publications, as well as covering the full spectrum of events that happen at a major university.
“Neil was an extraordinarily talented photographer who brilliantly captured many, many very memorable moments in the life of the university and the medical center,” said Beth Fortune, interim vice chancellor for public affairs. ” His photos will live on and will be a reminder of his enormous talent and his many contributions to Vanderbilt as a photographer, colleague and friend.”
Joel Lee, associate vice chancellor, VUMC Communications, said that Brake had been “a terrific addition to the news and public affairs family.”
“His talents as a photographer are unquestioned and we will miss him greatly,” Lee said.
Brake’s photographs were also published by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and in Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, Atlanta Journal & Constitution, Time, Newsweek, Life and USA Today.
“Working with Neil was a joy because, like so many of us in the News Service, he was a news hound,” said Elizabeth Latt, assistant vice chancellor, news and communications and director of Vanderbilt News Service.
“He cut his teeth covering breaking news, and nothing got his creative juices flowing more than the challenge of capturing a fleeting moment through his photos. He did that time and again, and his tremendous talent shone through every time.”
Judy Orr, assistant vice chancellor, creative services, called Brake “a friend to just about everyone on campus.”
“He was passionate about his work and his enthusiasm was contagious,” Orr said. “While he could be a curmudgeon at times, he was a deeply caring person.”
Born in England, Brake moved to the United States with his parents when he was 5 years old and became a U.S. citizen in 1976. When he was 13 and a paperboy for the Birmingham News in Alabama, he suffered massive injuries in a motorcycle accident. His case was widely publicized in the area, leading to a benefit performance by Walter Matthau and George Burns to help offset medical expenses. He endured dozens of surgeries and lived with pain for the rest of his life.
Intrigued by the newspaper photographers who took his photograph during his recovery, he started taking photography classes and got a job as a lab technician at the Birmingham News. He won numerous awards during his career including being named Alabama Photographer of the Year and the national photographer of the year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He won the New York Times Chairman’s Award three times.
Survivors include wife Becky Brake, daughter Brandi Brake and stepson Bradley Steward, of Franklin; parents Joan and Jim Brake and nephews Ryan and Bradley Jones of Birmingham, Ala.; nieces and nephews Miller, Hudson and Ellie Mac Spivey and Morgan and Graham Gillespie of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; and half-brothers Michael and Richard North, of England. He was preceded in death by his sister, Lois Jones.
