Jim Brandewie

1962 - 2020

James A. Brandewie

January 4, 1962 - June 4, 2020

Chapel Hill

Jim Brandewie died at his home, with his beloved wife Kerry and his cherished children Morgan and Michael by his side, on June 4, 2020 after a 13-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He will be missed greatly.

Jim was born on January 4, 1962 in Rome, New York to Patricia Ronai Gross and Captain James August Brandewie (deceased 1963). He grew up in the Northeast, living in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts and graduated from Nashoba Regional High School in 1980 where he was known for his athletic competitiveness and boundless compassion. He then headed to Chapel Hill to attend the University of North Carolina. Jim earned his undergraduate degree from UNC in 1984 and his MBA and Masters in City and Regional Planning in 1991. In 1991, he established Homescape Development Company and, over the next thirty years, created a series of beautifully designed neighborhoods in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Cary including Waverly Forest, Sudbury Lane, Sunset Creek, Glen Ridge in Lake Hogan Farms, Carriage Hill, Copperleaf, Rose Walk, and Burgundy Lane. Homescape Building Company built hundreds of homes in those neighborhoods as well as throughout the Triangle Area. Jim always took special care in designing his neighborhoods to preserve existing nature and create communities that people were proud to call home.

As successful as Jim was professionally, his true passion was his family. He loved nothing more than spending time with Kerry, Michael, and Morgan. Anyone who had even a casual conversation with Jim heard about his family and how fiercely proud he was of them. His children inherited his athleticism, passion and compassion. He cheered them on at every childhood game and traveled the country to see them play in high school and in college. He was there for every major event of their lives. It surprises no one who knew him that despite the cancer's rapid spread in the last weeks of his life, he lived to see Michael earn a promotion and Morgan graduate from college this spring—he simply wouldn't have missed it.

Jim will be remembered with joy for many things by many. He was innately kind, gracious, and enriched the lives of his friends, neighbors, teammates, clients, and co-workers. He was an extraordinary listener with the rare ability to make each person with whom he spoke feel like the most important person in the room. His smile was legendary, as were the selfless favors he did for friends and strangers alike. He was one of the best of us although if you tried to tell him that, he'd change the subject and ask you about yourself. He made the lives of everyone around him better and inspired those around him to do the same. He always wanted to make everyone else happy.

Jim loved the outdoors and spent countless joyful hours riding the waves at Wrightsville Beach, skiing superbly out west, playing soccer (he was famous for his brilliant headers), and landscaping his yard. In his last months, Jim insisted on mowing the lawn. He planted his vegetable garden carefully and precisely so that the vegetables would ripen before the annual summer beach trip. He lives on in our hearts and we will miss him forever.

In addition to Kerry, Michael, and Morgan, Jim is survived by his mother Patricia Ronai Gross, stepfather Eugene Gross, sister Deborah Hampton, father-in-law Ery Magasanik, mother-in-law Laura Magasanik, brother-in-law Jonathan Magasanik, nephew Jacob Magasanik, and nieces Rachel Magasanik, Julia Hampton and Lara Hampton.

A memorial service will be held to celebrate Jim's life in the future when we are able to gather safely to hug, cry and laugh as we remember so many good times together with him. Donations may be made in Jim's memory to either OCASL (Orange County Adult Soccer League) at www.ocasl.org or Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research at www.lustgarten.org where you can dedicate your donation to Jim.