It's a salvia......and I am leanings heavily to one of the many cultivars of S. splendens.

Thanks all! When I do a search online....yeah...it seems to be most closely matched to salvia involucrata bethelli. However, the plant my brother had...the growth pattern of the flowers on the stem...seemed more 'arching'. I like how they were sort of softly dangling downward. But perhaps that's because the flower buds had yet to fully open, but then, once they do, they appear a bit more upright? I say this because...in most of the online images I am seeing of salvia, the flower stalks appear to have a more upright growth pattern.

Try looking at the Wish series of hybrid salvia, it might be 'Wendy's Wish' or another related sibling. They're excellent plants for all summer color.

Thank you Katob....and 'yes', the images I'm seeing of Wendy's Wish DO look a bit more like what's I'd seen. Thank you!