Tom Lane-Brady rehearsing his dance routine with Erica Millarc of the Midtown Ballroom in Charlotte, N.C.
AFTER RYE
Dancing in Memory of a Special Neighbor
By Georgetta L. Morque
When Tom Lane-Brady steps on stage at the Knight Theater in Charlotte, N.C., on February 28, he will be dancing in memory of a much-loved Rye neighbor, Rosetta Gaudio. As a cast member of the 2020 Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte, Lane-Brady, a 1995 Rye High School graduate, hopes to raise $30,000 for Carolina Breast Friends, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women and men with breast cancer.
“Rosetta was like a second mother to me,” said Lane-Brady, who moved to Rye as a 4-year-old and grew up on Henry Street with his parents, Lauren Brady and Tom Brady, a Rye volunteer fireman. The Gaudio family lived across the street and he has fond memories of Rosetta, a mother of three, with whom she spent time making meatballs, exploring her garden, and taking walks. Whenever anyone asked, “Where’s Tommy?” he would inevitably be at the Gaudio’s house.
In his conversations with Rosetta, he learned about her hopes and dreams, her coming to America from Italy, and her uncertainty about the future — she spent years in cancer treatments. After leaving for college and moving away, Lane-Brady kept in touch and visited her whenever he returned home. Rosetta passed away in 2009.
Lane-Brady’s Rye roots run deep. His grandfather, Shelby V. Timberlake Jr., was raised in Indian Village and served as president of Shenorock Shore Club from 1969 to 1972. His grandmother, Mary C. Timberlake, was a member of Shenorock from 1946 to 2017.
After high school, Lane-Brady earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Education from Curry College in Milton, Mass. His first job was at Rye Middle School as a special education aide. After a couple of years, he went on to work at the Arc Westchester, a nonprofit social services agency in Yonkers.
Meeting the man who would become his husband brought him to Charlotte 16 years ago. “I wanted a new start,” said Lane-Brady, who quickly became a fan of his new city. He continued his career with organizations that help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and became the development director and then the executive director of the Arc of Mecklenburg County. Today, both he and his husband, Justin, who have a 4-year-old son, Leo, work as ambassadors for MONAT, a global hair and skincare products company.
Excited but scared about his upcoming dance performance, Lane-Brady has been practicing three days a week with professional Erica Millarc, despite the fact that he’s no stranger to the dance floor. He was a regular at Barclays’ dance classes, and his grandmother was co-founder of the Westchester Cotillion. After he turned 18, he served as an escort at the events with her.
Lane-Brady is passionate about helping Carolina Breast Friends, which provides a network of support and mentors, encouragement, and empowerment through education and a community for those newly diagnosed with breast cancer and those on the way to recovery. To help him reach his fundraising goals, visit TomLaneBrady.com.
Caption:
Tom Lane-Brady rehearsing his dance routine with Erica Millarc of the Midtown Ballroom in Charlotte, N.C.
