102. Leading From the Heart: A Tribute to Allan Bredy

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Disclaimer

This episode includes a discussion of suicide and mental health. Please take care while listening, and feel free to pause or step away if you need to. If you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone, and support is available. You might consider reaching out to someone you trust or a support service in your area.

Introduction

This show is different from our usual. It is a tribute to a well-known and beloved international educator who died by suicide in May of 2024. His name was Allan Bredy. This show includes statements about Allan from his family, friends and co-workers who experienced many of the same aspects of Allan’s character that I did. I will be narrating, and I have inserted quotes from the celebration of his life as well as some recorded testimonials. Even if you didn't know Allan, I think there will be some impactful take-aways for you – on how to live fully, to lead with heart and to lift others up using all you’ve got.

Allan was born in New Jersey to Canadian parents and grew up in Germany, France, and Oklahoma. As a younger man, he was a wrestler, shoe salesman, oil rig derrick hand, and farm hand. He met Julie in an Anthropology class; they were engaged in 3 weeks and married in 6 months. They lived in Spokane, Washington, before Allan became principal of Port Angeles High School. In 2000, he and his family moved to Singapore, where he served as middle school principal at Singapore American School. He later became director of the Lincoln School in Nepal, then of the American Cooperative School in Tunisia, and then of the American School of Brasília in Brazil. Eventually, Allan and Julie returned to the farm on Lummi Island, Washington. In later years, he served as Interim Head at Dar es Salaam American School in Rabat, Morocco, and as a part-time administrator at The Index School in Washington. He was also an active member of Lummi Island Church and The Gathering Place.

Themes presented in this show: Allan as a Coach and Team Builder | Allan had a Warrior Code | Allan as a Defender and Protector | A Life Fully Lived | Allan’s Love of Music and Rituals | The Importance of Work, Purpose, and Courage to Allan | Family and Complexity

Thank you to Gabel, Anton and Julie Bredy for giving us permission to create this tribute to Allan and to use quotes from his Celebration of Life. We would also like to thank the following people who sent in recordings: Luke Davis | Mark Forgeron | Mick Cooper | Andy Donahue | Lesley Taite | Niva Shre

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.