A doting father, a free-spirit and a kind soul — those are the ways Jessica Bacon would love her brother to be remembered.

Although Bradford Curtis Bacon's death was due to an unlikely accident, when he was fatally struck by a train at Blundon's Crossing in Riverdale Park last Thursday morning, Jessica said her brother was larger than life, artistic and had a bit of a rebel streak.

Bradford, 41, of Brentwood, spent his days creating art, whether through fabric, poetry, music or dance.

"He didn't hear well," Jessica said. "Music was a huge outlet for him because he could feel the music."

Although the family grew up in Lewisdale, where Brad attended elementary school and fifth through eighth grades at Our Lady of Sorrows in Takoma Park, they moved to University Park in 1985 where they lived across Riverdale Presbyterian Church off Queens Chapel Road.

Brad attended Northwestern High School, where he wrestled and played lacrosse before he graduated in 1987. He was an Eagle Scout, and growing up he loved spending time outdoors — canoeing, hiking and running around the woods.

Jessica said he had a passion for cycling and gardening, growing food and flowers.

"Most of my memories with him were in the backseat of our car, camping in the summer," Jessica said. "I was always following him around 'cause he was five years older."

Brad liked to party, too, she said, and go against the grain. He learned how to drive a tractor at 12 and one time, when he was 14, he drove around in his parents' car when they weren't home.

"He was a crazy driver, did wild things, but his kindness and concern for others was what distinguished him from others," she said. 

After reading a friend's blog post and learning that he was homeless in a Vermont winter, Brad wired his friend money, brought him home to Brentwood and got him off drugs.

"He saved his life," she said, after recently hearing the story from one of his friends. "My brother didn’t tell anyone that story; he just did it."

His parents, Anne and Charles Bacon, moved to Beverly, Mass., in 1999, and that's where Jessica resides as well now.

She said his love for his 14-year-old son Emery was unmatched and he cherished time with his girlfriend, Deborah Byrd, whom he met at the Riverdale Park Farmers Market. His best friend was Andrew Farrington, and Farrington's wife, Maureen, said they spent a lot of time together, including a recent trip to Martha's Vineyard.

Jessica said she wrote a letter to her brother in May telling him he was one of the best people she knew.

"He was a kind and gentle soul," she said. "He was very Earth."

Family and friends hope to honor Brad tonight at a memorial service at the Paint Branch Unitarian Church from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Anyone is welcome to join them.

The family has also set up an educational trust fund for his son's tuition to DeMatha Catholic High School. He is set to start this fall.

If you'd like to donate to the fund, checks should be made out to Emery Bacon and sent to his maternal granparent's home at 7H Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770.

Questions about the memorial or the trust fund can be answered by Jessica Bacon at 978-902-1431.