It is with great sadness that the family of Bill Brandt of Evergreen Lane Woodstock, announce his passing on November 24, 2023. Bill died peacefully at Woodland Pond, New Paltz, NY after just having visited with his son and daughter-in-law. He was 94.
Bill was born William Edward Brandt in Chicago, IL on August 26, 1929, the son of the late William Charles Brandt and Henrietta Helen McCarthy. Bill moved with his parents and sister Marilyn to Missouri when he was 6, and then after his parents divorced, he moved many more times with his mother and sister within Missouri and then to California where he finished high school in Alameda, CA. He then attended the University of California Berkeley and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1951. While in college he became a member of the Bay Area Electric Railway Association and the National Model Railroad Association. After graduating, he worked in the engineering program at General Electric, moving around the country, and received several patents for power fuses. He was drafted at the age of 26 and worked in the US Army engineering lab for 2 years. After his honorable discharge in 1957 he began working for IBM. Between 1960-1961 he attended Harvard University and graduated with a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics. He continued to work at IBM after attaining his MS degree, and while stationed at Croton on Hudson in 1961, met his wife, Anna “Ann” McQueeney.
Bill and Ann were married October 24, 1970, in Garrison, NY. When Bill was transferred to IBM of Kingston, they moved together to Woodstock in 1973 where they raised three children, William “Willy”, Edward “Ed”, and Marilyn. Bill retired from IBM in 1994, worked briefly for H&R Block, and then became a stay-at-home dad for their teenage daughter while Ann went back to work.
As a resident of Woodstock, Bill was a steadfast volunteer, investing his time and energy into supporting organizations he loved, including the Trolley Museum of NY, the Kingston Model Railroad Club, and the local division of the Harvard Radcliffe Club. He continued to pursue his life-long love of model railroading, traveling to local and national model railroad shows to exhibit his intricately detailed trolley layouts. He received many awards for his model railroad layouts, including achieving the “Golden Spike” awarded by the National Model Railroad Association.
Bill was also a musician, learning to play the accordion and organ at a young age. Throughout his life he was a lover and supporter of music and the arts. While a resident of Woodstock he supported the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra, and the Catskill Ballet Theater.
Surviving are son Ed Brandt and his wife Kelly Brandt, of Woodstock, NY; daughter Marilyn Brandt and her husband, Tyler Smith, of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; grandchildren William “Liam” and Hazel Smith; and step-grandson Connor Hughes. His wife Ann, son Willy, and sister Marilyn Hiniker predeceased him.
The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to Woodland Pond for Bill’s end of life care.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home, Inc. 27 Smith Avenue Kingston, NY www.jvleahyfh.com http://www.jvleahyfh.com Friends will be received at the funeral home Saturday, December 2, 11:00am to 1:00pm. A service will follow at 1:00pm followed by burial at Woodstock Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s name can be made to the Kingston Model Railroad Club, 49 Susan St., Kingston NY 12401.
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