With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our beloved patriarch, Gilbert Wayne Bratschi. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 28, 1938, and drew his last breath in Zephyrhills, Florida on September 18, 2026, at the age of 88.

Wayne—you didn’t call him Gilbert unless you were trying to sell him something—lived the kind of life that left him with no shortage of stories to tell. Following a brief stint as an enlisted Sailor, Wayne attended the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned as a Supply Corps Officer in the U.S. Navy. He served honorably for more than 30 years, with tours aboard the USS Constellation and USS Enterprise and duty stations in Ecuador, the Philippines, Japan, and Washington, D.C. After retiring from the Navy as a Captain, he continued serving the military community and traveling as a government contractor. He deep-sea fished in Diego Garcia, listened to the nightly chorus of coquís in Puerto Rico, and taught his daughter how to drive a car in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before eventually making his home in Florida.

Wayne enjoyed golf long after his eyesight began to fail him and could still outdrive men 20 years his junior. He was a voracious reader his entire life, an avid fan of the Tampa Bay Rays, and could karaoke Tom Jones’ “Delilah” until the sun came up. He spent his days in his sunroom listening to rock ‘n’ roll at full volume and his nights with a glass of red wine telling endless stories to his loved ones.

He is survived by his loving wife Adelina; his children Ian and his wife Shiun, Matthew and his wife Lavonna, Michael, and Estephani; his stepson Randy Develos and his wife Jill; his grandchildren Adam, Amanda Richardson and her husband Mark, Noah, Heron, Bannyr, Theo, Jonas Williams, Justin Williams, Wyndel Develos, Gabriel Develos, and Miles Develos; his siblings Michael, Roger, Jan Martin, and Sandra Bratschi Sanders; and countless extended family members and dear friends.

He was predeceased by his father Alfred “A.G.” Bratschi, mother Dorothy Bratschi, and siblings Donald and Randy.

A memorial service will be held at Hodges Family Funeral Home in Dade City, Florida on Saturday, September 26. The family will receive friends starting at 11:00 a.m., with the service to follow at 12:00 p.m. Please join us in celebrating Wayne’s full and remarkable life.