William Lee Brandt's Obituary
William Lee Brandt, Bill, 89, of Lahaina Hawaii, died on July 21, 2023. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 13, 1934, the son of Leo and Florence Brandt. He passed away of natural causes.
Bill Married Gail Louise Burckett in 1956. They met during her first week in college, a chance meeting before classes started. She became his steady date throughout their college careers attending formals and other college events together. They had two children: William and Susan. Gail suffered a heart attack and stroke in 1997. Bill cared for Gail until her death in 2015. Bill and Gail were married for 59 years.
Bill subsequently married Michelle Fitts who passed away in 2021.
Bill earned a Bachelor of Economics at University of Pennsylvania in 1956. He worked for McCormick and Company for over thirty years. He began his career working in Baltimore, Maryland. He moved his family to the west coast in 1967 where he worked his way up to comptroller at Schilling and ending as a Vice President at Setco, both subsidiaries of McCormick and Company.
Bill was a member of community service clubs throughout his lifetime. He was a member of the Jaycees and chaired an event held in Baltimore, Maryland in 1967. President Lyndon Baines Johnson was a guest speaker along with Maryland Governor, Spiro T. Agnew. He also helped create a community church in his neighborhood that started out in a house and eventually built a church. After the big move to the west coast, he was a member of the Kiwanis club in the1970's. He joined the Rotary club on Maui after his retirement.
Bill’s wife Gail was an avid sailor. He joined her passion of the water. They joined the Monterey Bay Yacht Club and later the California Yacht Club. He was Commodore at Capistrano Bay Yacht Club. After Gail’s stroke they joined the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club and finally when they moved to Maui the joined the Lahaina Yacht Club. Bill chaired a variety of races and events. He loved to be on the water with his friends.
Bill is survived by his child Susan Brandt, her wife Karen, and their daughter Emily. He is also survived by his sons’ children, Kevin and Courtney. He is Predeceased by his wife Gail in 2015, second wife Michelle 2021, and his son William Lee in 2021. His beloved cat Puka is safe on Maui exploring the neighborhood surrounding his home.
We will be celebrating Bill's life and scattering his ashes on March 30, 2024. We will be meeting at the beach end of the walkway in Whalers Village at 1:30pm to board the boat SEA MAUI II (catamaran), 2435 Kaanapali Parkway, Lahaina.
Please email Sue Brandt to receive the links to RSVP and waiver to enter the boat from the beach. [email protected]
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