Richard Brandt

Richard "Dick" Martin Brandt Richard "Dick" Martin Brandt died on Friday, June 14, 2013, at the Lodge at Old Trail in Crozet, Virginia. Born on September 13, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Arthur John and Lucile Martin Brandt, Dick was raised in Birmingham, Michigan. He attended nearby Cranbrook School before entering the University of Virginia in 1940, from which he earned a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1943. He was a member of the Tilka Society, and ATO and Theta Tau social fraternities. Dick received his commission at the Naval Academy in April 1944 and served aboard a heavy cruiser as an engineering officer in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Following the war, he completed a masters degree in Education at the University of Michigan and later a doctorate at the University of Maryland, where he remained on the faculty of the Institute for Child Study at College Park from 1954 to 1965. He joined the University of Virginia faculty in 1965 to teach human development and educational psychology courses, became chairman of the Foundations of Education Department in 1968, and served as dean of the Curry School for 10 years beginning in 1974. He also held the Curry Memorial Professor Chair from 1975 until his retirement in 1990. While on the UVA faculty, he was inducted into the Raven Society. During his 25 years at the University, Dick was recognized by his colleagues as an original and productive scholar and an administrative leader. He authored three books, numerous articles and research monographs. As dean, he established the Curry School of Education Foundation and provided strong leadership at a time when many schools of education faced considerable challenges. His leadership during the era included presidencies of both the Virginia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and, between 1982 and 1983, ACSESULGC (the national education deans' organization). In addition to teaching in his last years on the faculty, he served as a consultant, researcher and outside evaluator of statewide incentive pay/master teacher programs under development in five southern states. His final book discussed strategies for rewarding and retaining the best teachers. Dick was a longtime member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Greenwood. During retirement, he played piano regularly at the Mountainside Retirement Home and other local assisted living centers. A schoolboy athlete in football, baseball and hockey, Dick was a talented and companionable golfer well into his 80s. Dick is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mattice "Tice" Fritz Brandt, and four children and their families: Mattice and John Jensen, William Fritz Brandt and Donald Cunningham, Mark and Carolyn Weary Brandt, Lucile "Lou" and Peter Hatch, and Joyce Page Brandt. Also surviving him are his nine grandchildren: Brian, Kimberly, and Dustin Ranney; Austin and Lydia Brandt; Rosemary and Olivia Hatch; Martin and Peyton Brandt; and five great-grandchildren. His brother, James Andrew Brandt, his wife Nancy, and nieces and nephews survive him as well. His son, Richard "Rick" M. Brandt Jr. preceded him in death; as did his older brother, Arthur John Brandt. Dick was the beloved patriarch of a large, close-knit, and devoted family. At their Crozet home, "Rivendell," Dick and Tice were gracious hosts for the celebrations of a circle of treasured family and enduring friends. The family would like to thank his friend, Ed Shaw, and the other caregivers at Home Instead, as well as the staff of the Lodge at Old Trail, the Seasons at the Lodge, Hospice of the Piedmont and UVA's Continuum Home Health Care for their loving care and tremendous support at the end of Dick's life. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Friday, June 21, 2013, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood, Virginia, on Route 250 West. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations may be made to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 38, Greenwood, VA 22943 or the Curry School of Education Foundation, 405 Emmet Street, P.O. Box 400276, Charlottesville VA 22904.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.