David Aaron Brandon

Above all else, David was a family man. He loved and was so proud of his sons, Xavier and Mason Brandon, each of whom carries a little piece of their dad with them – Xavier with his boisterousness and Mason with his steadfastness. David was also proud of his heritage and roots in St. Louis, Missouri. His beloved parents, Willie and Mabline Brandon, who passed away in recent years, were his rock and he adored and was fiercely loyal to his siblings. He is predeceased by his brother Stacy Brandon and survived by brothers and sisters Willie (Sally) Brandon, Willene McCann, Yvonne Grace, Lola Reed, Juan Brandon and Rosalind (Rodney) Brandon-Hearn. Having grown up together, he and his niece, Michelle Standifer Davis, were also like brother and sister, and she held a special place in his heart, as did all of his many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and cousins.

David was a fighter. He came from humble beginnings to be the first in his family to graduate from college (Southeast Missouri State University). He majored in journalism and worked in the field in his younger years. In the end though, he settled into work as a financial analyst at the State of Michigan, starting in the 1990’s. He truly thought the world of his co-workers. David was a cancer survivor and we are proud of how bravely he faced his health challenges.

David’s booming laugh was his superpower and anyone who knew him knows how contagious it was. He was generous with his time and when you settled down with David for a conversation, you knew you would be there for hours. If you lived nearby, on Spartan basketball game days you could surely hear his shouts through the windows and at other times, you might hear the strains of Thelonius Monk, Dave Brubeck or Stan Getz. David loved both jazz and art, and passed his artistic talents down to his sons.

Dear friends, please keep Xavier, Mason and the rest of David’s family in your thoughts and raise a toast to our David, who left us far too soon. Per his wishes, David will be cremated. Memorials to celebrate his life will be held in Lansing, MI in March and in St. Louis, MO in June.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greastlansing.com for the Brandon family.