George Edgar Brandt III

George Edgar Brandt III
June 29, 1949 – November 27, 2023
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of George Edgar Brandt III, of Oakland, California, on November 27, 2023.
George was the husband of his most beloved wife of 48 years, Leealyn Brandt; loving father to daughter Allison Brandt Fargo (Ben) and son George Allen Brandt (Jenny); and cherished grandfather "Pa" to his four grandchildren: Richard Walter Fargo, Andrew George Brandt Fargo, Walter Stanley Baker Brandt, and Abigail Naomi Marion Brandt.
George was preceded in death by his parents U.S. Navy Captain George Edgar Brandt, Jr., and Aileen Brandt, and an infant sister Diana.
George was born in Bethesda, Maryland, on June 29, 1949. He spent much of his youth abroad, with his family, having circled the globe by the age of 12.
Of all the countries he lived in, he spoke most often about Thailand, where he gained a love of golf that stayed with him for a lifetime. He had many tales of his jungle adventures riding horseback and camping, remembering how he had to be concerned about crossing paths with tigers or snakes.
He met Leealyn in the aisle of the Church of the Assumption in San Leandro 50 years ago this year. She was the maid of honor at a friend's wedding, and he was a groomsman. At the reception, she caught the bouquet, and he caught the garter, and what followed was a storybook romance. For this reason, the Church of the Assumption and the Assumption Parish has always held special meaning.
Travelling and exploring the world together were among the couple's most favorite pastimes, including so many trips to Disneyland they lost count. As the family grew, Leealyn and George exposed their children to many cultures by traveling to places near and far. In more recent years, he and Leealyn enjoyed many travels with her sister Marilyn Domin and her husband Gregg.
George graduated from the University of Michigan in 1972 with a degree in economics and received a master's in business administration degree from California State University, Hayward in 1982. He also received a certificate with distinction in telecommunications engineering in 1998 from the University of California, Berkeley.
George spent more than 40 years in the television industry in San Francisco. He was Business Manager at KBHK-TV (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose), responsible for budgeting, economic forecasting, billing, collections, payroll, and Human Resources.
He is remembered by his colleagues for his integrity, dependability, sound judgment and good sense of humor. KBHK was sold to United Television in 1983 and Geroge proved to be a very valuable manager, often sent by the Corporate Office to other United Television stations to consult on financial issues. When KBHK was acquired by CBS, Inc., in 2001, George was named Market Controller for both KBHK and KPIX (CBS) as well as two other satellite stations where he remained until he retired in 2015.
George also served for over 30 years on the Church of the Assumption Foundation Board. In his retirement, he was the head of the financial committee for the Church of the Assumption Parish in San Leandro. He found meaning in using skills he had acquired during his career to help serve the community that meant so much to him and his family.
He was a long-standing member and officer of the Sheffield Village Homeowners Association of Oakland. In the 1980s, he and other association leaders were instrumental in establishing a nursery school along Marlow Drive in partnership with the city of Oakland.
His daughter Allison was in the inaugural class. When he was president, he used his passion for people exercising their vote to encourage Sheffield Village residents to go to the polls.
Those who knew George knew that no one meant more to him in his life than Leealyn. What began as young love became a deep and abiding one, a love that will last always and forever. He was proud of his children and thrilled to spend a lot of time with his grandchildren, especially during his retirement years.
George's life will be honored in a vigil on Monday, December 11 at the Church of the Assumption, 1100 Fulton Avenue, San Leandro, CA. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. A rosary and vigil will follow from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A funeral mass will be held at the church the next day, Tuesday, December 12 at 11 a.m. A reception will follow.
There will be a private internment ceremony held at Christ the Light Cathedral.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Assumption Foundation or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.