In loving memory of Philip George Brandis who passed away peacefully on 8/10/20 just shy of his 96th birthday. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Jenny & Stephen Parella, his former wife’s children and Jenny’s siblings, Pam, Jeff, Lindy, and Todd, several grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and lots of others who loved and cared for him. In addition to his parents, Max and Mollie Brandis, he is preceded in death by his sister, Jane and now joins his twin brother, Gerry who passed last October 2019.
He was born in New York City and grew up in Brooklyn. He attended City College in New York initially. After enlisting in the army during World War II, he was sent to Haverford College for their Pre-Meteorological Cadet Program before serving with the 15th Weather Squadron in New Guinea & the Philippines. After the war, he obtained his BA degree in Math and Psychology from Brooklyn College. He had a long successful career & retired from the U.S. Weather Service. His first assignment was in Majuro, TT Marshall Islands followed by Albany, NY, Binghamton, NY, before settling the final 22 years at the National Meteorological Center in Suitland, Maryland. His career started as a weather observer/briefer, then computer programmer, and rose to become the Communication Section Chief.
He had a full life while loving to learn and was an avid reader. During the later years of his career, he enrolled in George Washington University attending law school in the evening with plans to become a lawyer upon retirement. After retirement, he continued to work part-time for the Weather Service assisting his group to absorb programs he had written and continuing the creative process he relished of writing a few more programs. Although he obtained his JD and passed the bar, he did not end up practicing as his real passion became acting, singing, and dancing. He began acting in community plays and soon joined the Seasoned Players acting group in Maryland. In addition to the many plays he acted and sang in over the years, he performed the lead parts in several plays including The Sunshine Boys and On Golden Pond to name a few.
Keeping healthy and physically fit was important to him. He walked daily for 50 minutes up until his final few years. While competing in the Maryland Senior Olympics, he won a gold medal for speed walking. His appreciation for lifetime learning led him to take classes for fun at the University of Maryland and George Washington University. He also felt it was important to give back and donated time yearly by participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging for over 25 years. Other volunteer endeavors included tutoring school children, teaching chair exercises to seniors, and assisting as a community mediator.
6 years ago, he moved to Florida to be closer to his daughter. While living independently in a retirement community, he joined a choir, an acting group, and took line dance classes performing once again. As dementia progressed, he continued to sing until the end. He was most grateful for the caring and professional attention provided by the caregivers and activity director at Lily’s Promise whose love and support meant so much to him. Many thanks also to the nurses and Cindy, the social worker at Tidewell Hospice who helped ensure he was comfortable, supported, and peaceful in his final 3 days.
Philip was loved by many and known for being funny, joyful, playful, smart, kind, and appreciative. We will miss him and are blessed with the beautiful memories of which we are thankful. A memorial service will be held later in the year or early next year. Donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association (ALZ.org), Tidewell Hospice (Tidewellhospice.org) or a charity of your choice.