Dr. Brandon Ryan Seaver

This past week, our community lost a kind and compassionate servant when Dr. Brandon Ryan Seaver, was suddenly stricken by a cardiac event while on vacation with his wife, Erika, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Despite the rapid response and heroic attempts of the emergency responders and hospital staff, Brandon succumbed to his injuries on Friday, October 17 at Bristol Regional Medical Center. He was just 34 years old.

Born on December 9, 1990, Brandon was one of those rare and special people that everyone loved upon first meeting with an infectious smile, gentle voice, and a compassionate heart that made everyone he talked to – young and old alike – feel important, loved, and at home.

He was a local- born in Johnson City, and raised in Blountville in a close-knit family where game nights; church activities; frequent visits to his grandparents; community sports; fun summer days spent playing outside with his sister Brittany and special cousins Chelsey and Tanner Owens; making apple butter in the fall; annual family vacations in Hilton Head all made for an idyllic childhood growing up surrounded by those he loved and cherished. Despite his many high achievements and professional accomplishments, Brandon remained at heart a kind and gentle person who never outgrew his sense of wonder and appreciation of simple pleasures. His somewhat humble and unassuming demeanor belied a vibrant sense of humor that brightened the lives of those who took the opportunity to get to know him well.

With the Lord’s blessing, Brandon achieved an enviable list of accomplishments: becoming an Eagle scout in his youth; graduating Magna Cum Laude with his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee; completed medical school at ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine, and his Anesthesia residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, whereupon he returned home to his beloved East Tennessee and began practice as an Anesthesiologist at Bristol Regional Medical Center in 2021.

Shortly before his return, he met the love of his life, Erika Edwards, and in 2022 they married and began their lifelong journey together. And although their time together was brief and work hours were long, they enjoyed quiet dinners – often prepared by Brandon, who was an excellent cook; watching movies together; having long and deep conversations; and spending time with family members. As relatively new members of Indian Springs Baptist Church, they especially enjoyed their Sunday School class family, and often talked together about the week’s lesson, and what they’d learned in their devotional time. Anyone who spent any time around either Brandon or Erika quickly recognized how much each adored and cherished the other. Put simply, they were more than just husband and wife; they were soulmates. Upon seeing a group of Canadian geese pass overhead in their infamous “flying V” formation, Brandon commented how they were one of his favorite animals because they “mate for life”.

This kind of faithfulness and loyalty – to his Lord and Savior, Jesus; his wife Erika; his family and friends; and to his co-workers and patients – were Brandon’s hallmarks, as evidenced by the hundreds of texts, phone calls, and prayers lifted up on his behalf throughout the East Tennessee area, multiple other states across the nation, and even as far away as Egypt. Everyone who met, knew, worked with, or were related to Brandon loved him.

When it became apparent that recovery was not likely, his work partners at Paragon went above and beyond, working tirelessly with Erika and outside partners to get him transported back home to spend his final hours in the comfort of friends and family, and in the care of his work team. The steady stream of visitors – members of his work team; medical professionals in other nearby hospitals with whom Brandon had worked; close high school friends with whom Brandon remained in contact with over the years; family members; pastors of neighboring churches; and many others all bear testament to how much he was respected, and how deeply he was loved, and though he never regained consciousness, he would have felt greatly honored by the kindness bestowed upon him and upon his family for him, and would have been greatly appreciative. Truly no stone was left unturned in trying to bring him back to consciousness and on to recovery.

In the end, God had other plans for Brandon and chose to take him. His earthly race was done, and he’s reached his new home where he’s now walking in newness of life, a life that is eternal in both duration and dimension, and that childhood sense of wonder he never lost is now learning the answers to those many questions he had wondered about over the years.

34 years old is such a young age to die by our standards, but in the Lord’s frame of reference, “a thousand years is as a day” (Psalm 90:4), and our lives – whether they be 34, 64, 84, or 104 years – are but “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). For those who accept God’s gracious gift of atonement, provided by the death, burial, and resurrection of His only begotten son, a time is coming when “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

He was preceded in death by other family members including his special uncle, Rick Owens.

Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 3 years, Erika; parents Brian and Tina Seaver; sister Brittany and her fiancé Josh Fortener; maternal grandparents Danny and Barbara Owens; paternal grandparents Hugh and Glenda Seaver; uncle Chad Seaver (Patricia); aunt, Patty Owens; cousins, Chelsey and Tanner Owens (Marilyn), Alex and Evan Seaver; father- and mother-in-law Bob and Allison Edwards; brothers-in-law Morgan Edwards (Mariah) and Jarrod Edwards (Azlinn), and nephew Ezra Edwards; sister-in-law Braeden Gumbert (Jack); and many uncles, aunts, and cousins whom he loved dearly.

The Seaver and Edwards family would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who gave their best efforts in trying to help Brandon through this heartbreaking tragedy: the EMTs at Williamsburg; the medical staff at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center; the attending medical staff in Bristol Regional Medical Center’s ICU ward; the coordinating staff and aircrew of MedJet who arranged for him to get home within 12 hours of initial contact; and a very special thanks to Brandon’s fellow anesthesiologists, CRNAs, and others with the Paragon Group who moved Heaven and earth in their efforts to help him, and who came by, or even came in on their off day, to pay their respects to Brandon. Brandon spent most of his short adult life preparing for, and then caring for people, and he truly cared for his patients.

In addition, both families are awed and humbled by the outpouring of love, compassion, and kindness that has been extended to Erika and to the rest of the family members on both sides by friends, family, and multiple churches throughout the area, as well as by Brandon’s medical health professionals at Paragon. May the Lord bless each of you for the comfort and care you have extended to us on Brandon’s behalf.

The family will receive friends from 4pm – 7pm on Tuesday October 21, 2025, at Indian Springs Baptist Church, Kingsport. A funeral service will follow at 7pm with Pastor Aaron Rayburn officiating.

Graveside services will take place on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 11am at East Lawn Memorial Park.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Paragon Anesthesia Group, Austin Box, Tyler DeVault, Morgan Edwards, Jarrod Edwards, Josh Fortener, Tanner Owens, Tyler Seals, and Garret Whittington.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of Brandon’s favorite charities: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Samaritan’s Purse, or Tunnels to Towers.

Hamlett-Dobson is honored to serve the family of Dr. Brandon Ryan Seaver.