Branson Kelsey Bywaters, affectionately known as "Ban," was born on November 25, 1947, in Dallas, Texas, to David Walter Bywaters and Dorothy Martin Bywaters. He lived in Paris, Texas, until the age of three and then moved to Dallas where he resided for the majority of his life.

Branson attended Highland Park High School, graduating in 1966, where he played football. He continued his athletic career at Austin College, playing football for two years before transferring to Southern Methodist University, from which he graduated in 1970. While at SMU, he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He received an MBA from the University of Dallas in 1980.

On February 23, 1974, Branson married Kathleen Cullinan Hazelhurst in Kerrville, Texas, with whom he shared nearly 52 years of marriage.

Following college, Branson served in the Army National Guard from 1970 to 1976 as a paratrooper.

Professionally, Branson spent the first half of his career in commercial banking, working with several institutions including the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, Dallas Federal Savings and Loan, Bright Bank, and Bank One. He later transitioned into financial planning, serving clients through Merrill Lynch and ultimately Morgan Stanley, where he concluded his professional career.

From the age of six, Branson was an avid train enthusiast, a passion that brought joy to countless families throughout the Dallas community. Each Christmas season, he created elaborate model train displays in retail venues including the Crescent, Galleria Dallas, and NorthPark Center, with proceeds benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. Ban deeply loved his family, had a passionate heart for helping those in need, and cherished witnessing the joy the trains brought to children and families during the Christmas season.

Branson was a lifelong member of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, where he faithfully served as an usher. He was trustee emeritus for the Joe M. and Doris R. Dealey Family Foundation and past board member of Equest and St. John's Episcopal School. Branson was an active member and past president of the Park Cities Rotary Club and belonged to several social organizations, including the Idlewild Club, Terpsichorean Club, Calyx Club, and Dervish Club, and previously served as president of the Terpsichorean Club.

Branson passed away peacefully on February 3, 2026, surrounded by family at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas, after a several year battle with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA).

He is predeceased by his parents, his older sister, Patricia Waller, and his older brother, David Bywaters II. He is survived by his immediate family: his wife of nearly 52 years, Kathleen Cullinan Hazelhurst Bywaters; his son, Branson Kelsey Bywaters II, and his wife, Leigh Ann; his daughter, Natalie Bywaters Lee, and her husband, Brian Lee; his younger brother, William McDonald Bywaters, and his wife, Kay; and his beloved grandchildren, Emma Lee and Preston Lee; his nieces Melinda Downey and Catherine Kivlan, and his nephew David Walter Bywaters III.

A funeral service will be held on March 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, and The Museum of American Railroads in Frisco, Texas.