Geoff Bratton was born in Dallas and grew up in Park Cities where he attended Armstrong Elementary. He later attended Highland Park High School where he was the baseball captain in 1995. Geoff’s wife, Amy, was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and moved to Shreveport and Houston before relocating to the Dallas area. She attended Highland Park High School and was a member of the Highland Belles. Though they attended HPHS together, they didn’t meet until they both went to a summer camp at Texas A&M for high school juniors. “I wanted to ask Amy for a date but didn’t have the nerve to do so until the homecoming dance that fall,” said Geoff. “She said yes, and we went on a pre-homecoming date on October 15, 1994.” Amy studied in Italy several times during her undergraduate years, and Geoff proposed in Castiglion Fiorentino during a summer trip with friends after college. The two then married on January 12, 2002, at SMU Perkins Chapel.
Geoff attended Texas A&M for his undergraduate degree as well as veterinary school. He worked for a year at Lums Pond Animal Hospital in Bear, Delaware, after graduation before returning to Holt Veterinary Clinic on SMU Blvd in 2003. Geoff worked at Holt during his sophomore year in high school in 1992 and bought the practice from Dr. David Baxter, his mentor, when he retired in 2010.
Amy also attended Texas A&M for her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in literature. She completed PhD work in literature at the University of Delaware and worked for several years at The Dallas Institute for Arts and Humanities. She then went back to SMU Dedmon School of Law and worked for several years as a business attorney at Underwood Perkins. She later stepped away to raise the couple’s two children and help Geoff manage the veterinary clinic while overseeing the construction of the new hospital. “The old building which I purchased from Dr. Baxter in 2010, had been in existence since Dr. JN Holt opened the business in 1946,” explained Geoff. “The old building had served its purpose for many years and simply could not be renovated or expanded sufficiently to properly house a modern, functional, growing veterinary practice. In 2014, we rebuilt the hospital on the same property in a staged process that did not interrupt operations.” Amy continues to coordinate marketing, graphic design, and community outreach programs at Holt Veterinary Clinic.
Geoff and Amy have two 11-year-old boys, fraternal twins Ben and Steve. The boys both love soccer and play three or four days per week and most weekends. They also love climbing and enjoy spending time at Summit Climbing gym. As a family, the Brattons spend a lot of time outside and have made trips to Wichita Mountains Refuge in Oklahoma and Johnson’s Peak in Palo Pinto County for quick hiking trips. “When we can get away for a few days, we have a Hiker two-person camper trailer with a roof-top, fold-out tent for the boys that we have taken all over the southwest and as far as Custer State Park in South Dakota for camping trips,” said Geoff. They also have a home in Angel Fire, New Mexico, which they consider their true retreat. “The Enchanted Circle in northeast New Mexico is where our heart truly resides,” shared Amy. “Our home is on the top of a mountain with wide views of the Moreno Valley and herds of elk that roam by. Living in the hustle and bustle of Dallas, we deeply appreciate getting away somewhere that has more elk, deer, and wildlife than people.” The boys have over 40 Junior Ranger badges from all the National Parks and National Historic Monuments the family has visited over the years.
Geoff is avid cyclist and has logged more than 10,000 miles per year on his road bike for the last 10 years and counting. He especially enjoys riding over mountain
passes in Colorado and New Mexico and has participated in the Bicycle Tour of Colorado multiple years. He has ridden 28 of the 41 Colorado mountain passes over 8,000 feet in elevation and has a goal of completing them all. His favorite ride, however, is the 80-mile Enchanted Circle loop in New Mexico over Bobcat, Arroyo Hondo, and Taos passes. Locally, he circles White Rock Lake hundreds of times annually.
Amy is an avid dancer. She was a Highland Belle in high school and still loves dancing. She is a dance fitness instructor-in-training with Dallas Dance Fitness in Preston Center and teaches dance-cardio classes. She especially enjoys flamenco and Brazilian samba and has traveled with the United Dance Academy samba team to their national competition.
The Brattons enjoy local hangouts and favorite restaurants include Yummy Donuts and Hudson House on Lovers Lane, Sevy’s on Preston, and Smokey Rose by White Rock. They also visit The Kessler and Poor David’s for live music. Geoff, Ben, and Steve bike to Fair Park when there are no events taking place. “We ride around all the fairgrounds, animal barns, Cotton Bowl, and Hall of State,” said Geoff. “There are no cars or people anywhere and we have the whole place to ourselves!” They also ride through the Park Cities, down the Katy Trail, through downtown, and across the Continental Street Bridge Park.
The Brattons live in University Park on Lovers Lane and have been at the same location since 2003. They originally lived in a two-bedroom home for 7 years before tearing it down in 2010 to rebuild their new home. Their family is completed by Mr. Fezziwig a 7-year-old Havanese. “Mr. Fezziwig is named after the character from Dickens’ Christmas Carol,” shared Amy. “Geoff always aspires to the same kind of fun, joyful boss – sometimes he succeeds!” When asked about living in University Park, they said, “We love being in the heart of the city with quick access to all the arts, restaurants, and activities that a major metropolitan city has to offer while living in a neighborhood that has a very local, close-knit feel.”