He was born on September 10,1943 in Kalamazoo, MI. and was the 10th and youngest child to Cornelious and Beatrice Brand.
Terry graduated from High School and worked odd jobs before joining the United States Army. The army had a profound impact on his life. He went on to serve 4 ½ tours in Vietnam from 1965-1970. Terry retired as a First Sergeant E-8 in 1985, after proudly serving 20 years.
Shortly after returning from Vietnam, and while being stationed in Germany, he met and married Elke Hesse, whom he was married to for 52 years. He adopted and loved Elke’s daughter Jeniffer, and they would have another daughter of their own, Bettina.
After retiring from the military, Terry went on to work for AAFES in the Loss Prevention and Surveillance Department which he retired from after 20 years. After a short time at Ace Hardware, Terry decided to finally slow down and enjoyed his remaining years in retirement. He spent that chapter of his life taking care of his beloved backyard, reading about history, and enjoying every moment with his grandsons Nathan and Jackson.
Terry was a loving husband, father, uncle, and friend. But his most prized role was being called “Opa” by his grandsons. He will always be remembered for his unwavering commitment to his beloved country and his family. He always made sure to end every phone call with family and dear friends with an “I love you” at the end.
He has been a rock to many because of his blue-collar common-sense advice and his very direct manner when he knew the truth and you needed to hear it. He was also a master of the best of the worst corny jokes. To those who knew him well and loved him, these two traits also combined to make him a tremendous pain in the neck sometimes.
After several years of failing health, he passed away peacefully and quickly surrounded by his family, just as he always hoped he would be.
Cremation services will be held on May 28, 2024, at 10:00 am at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery.
He was preceded to heaven by his parents; all his siblings; and several aunts and uncles. He is missed dearly by his wife Elke; daughter Jeniffer; daughter Bettina Heydenberk (Andrew); Grandson’s Nathan and Jackson Heydenberk; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, friends, and family.
The family sincerely appreciates your support during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, they wish you to consider making contributions to the From Tunnels to Towers Foundation in Terry’s name.
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