• Visitation: Thursday, March 5, 2026 from 3:30 pm – 5 pm at WISCONSIN MEMORIAL PARK – CHAPEL OF FLOWERS (13235 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI)

• Funeral Service: Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 5 pm at WISCONSIN MEMORIAL PARK – CHAPEL OF FLOWERS (13235 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI)

Richard “Dick” T. Brandt

Passed away on February 12, 2026, at the age of 94. He leaves behind a life defined by ingenuity, mechanical brilliance, curiosity, and unmistakable character to this world

Born in Chicago in 1931, Dick grew up on North Damen Street in a three-story brick apartment building built by his grandfather. The alleys of Chicago were his first laboratory. As a boy he collected scrap in a wagon, watched the “Rags Old Iron” man make his rounds, played hookie from school, and followed his curiosity wherever it led. He loved old Charlie Chan movies and spent time in his Uncle Roy’s basement surrounded by racing forms and neighborhood characters.

His fascination with machines began early and never left him. At 13, he drove for the first time on a trip to Indiana, an experience that sparked a lifelong devotion to automobiles. As a teenager he pushed boundaries: jumping off garage roofs (an adventure that earned him a hernia and surgery), experimenting with model airplanes and homemade devices, and buying his first car, a Model T, for $35 before he was legally licensed to drive. He hit the family’s brick house with it. Soon came a Model A roadster, late-night junkyard engine swaps, and the burial of an old engine beside the driveway. Even in adolescence, Dick was not merely driving cars, he was rebuilding them.

In 1945, his family moved to Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, when his father, George C. Brandt, transferred with Fruehauf Trailer Company. Dick attended Whitefish Bay High School, ran cross country, took apart early televisions and electrical devices, and built a stone fireplace for a school project, only to discover it was too heavy to move for credit.

After graduating in 1949, Dick served in the United States Army during the Korean War as an X-ray technician. Stationed in Japan, he worked night shifts imaging wounded soldiers transported from Korea, an experience that shaped his discipline and quiet competence.

Following his service, Dick earned degrees in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from Marquette University. His career began at Delco Electronics during the height of the Space Race, where he contributed to guidance systems for the Apollo program. While pursuing advanced studies in Aerospace Engineering at MIT, he and his wife welcomed their first son, Kurt; later, during the Apollo and early Space Shuttle years, their second son, Craig, was born. After Delco, Dick joined General Electric, where he helped develop the company’s first CT scanner, work that grew into GE Medical Systems, and later contributed to GE’s first MRI scanner. His career spanned the arc of postwar American innovation, from space exploration to life-saving medical imaging.

Dick married Carolyn (nee Van Hercke) Brandt, his lifelong partner in motion and adventure. Together they shared a love of the outdoors, driving his Austin Healey and Chevrolets, boating, attending races at Indianapolis and Elkhart Lake, and traveling to the Salt Flats. Summers were devoted to Lake Owen in northern Wisconsin, a place that became central to his identity and to generations of family tradition.

Faith and family were at the center of his life. He was deeply committed to raising his children with strong values and providing them with meaningful educational opportunities. Both of his children attended Hales Corners Lutheran School, and Craig went on to graduate from Martin Luther High School. He took great pride in seeing both of his sons earn their college degrees.

After retiring, Dick returned to hands-on craftsmanship, meticulously restoring a 1949 Chevy, a 1951 Rocket 88, and an Austin Healey. He and Carolyn traveled to shows across the state and country, earning trophies for the vehicles he brought back to life. In later years, macular degeneration gradually diminished his eyesight, limiting his ability to continue his restorations. In 2019, he lost Carolyn, his companion in all of life’s journeys.

Dick was a man of few words. When he spoke, it was direct and exact. He said what he thought. Even as his vision faded, he found steady rituals of joy like weekly Reubens with his sons, a cold beer, and Big Band music on Thursday nights.

He is survived by his loving sons, Robert “Kurt” (Tammy) Brandt and Craig (Laurie Woolverton) Brandt; his grandchildren Austin, Jack, and Julia; and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Madeleine Brandt, and his brothers Charles and Thomas.

Ninety-four years is a long life. For those who knew him, it was still too soon.

In Celebration of Dick’s Life

Visitation will be held at Wisconsin Memorial Park, Chapel of the Flowers
13235 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI
at 3:30 p.m., followed by a funeral service at 5:00 p.m.

Private entombment at Wisconsin Memorial Park.

 

HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME
16880 W National Ave. New Berlin, WI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: This obituary is the property of Heritage Funeral Homes and is published here with permission from the family. If you are viewing it on any website other than www.heritagefuneral.com, please be aware it has been copied without consent and may not reflect the most accurate or complete information.

PRINT