John "Tony" Anthony Brandon

Tony was a Christian and believed in God. He was baptized at Norton Street Church of Christ.

In March 1971, at the age of 19, Tony joined the United States Marine Corps for four years and became a Military Police Dog Handler during his service in Vietnam. Prior to joining the military, he ran a pool hall in Buccaneer Bowl where his Mother, Shirley Brandon, was the Manager. He learned construction, carpentry, and painting skills early on. He owned a shrimp boat for a short bit of time. He was employed by Missouri Pacific Railroad for eight years as a brakeman and conductor. In 1984, he began his employment as a Sheet Metal Mechanic at the Corpus Christi Army Depot until his retirement in 2013. While he was employed at CCAD, he worked with his Mom and Dad for Brandon's General Construction painting and fixing up HUD homes, had numerous side jobs, cleaning offices, building decks, fences, carports, patios to name a few. He loved to work and was good at it as he was a perfectionist and very detail oriented.

Tony took flying lessons in Mathis, Texas, then bought and built an ultralight aircraft that he stored and flew in Mathis. He coached Little League baseball while Anthony played growing up, and he too played baseball in his youth, both of them were really good pitchers. He loved yearly family camping trips with Tina, Anthony, his parents and nieces and nephews to Guadalupe State Park, Mathis, Chalk Bluff, Inks Lake and numerous other campsites in Texas. He had a passion for going scuba diving for over 20 years with Tina, visiting over 26 islands in the Caribbean, including a shark dive in the Bahamas, but his favorite place was Cozumel. He and Tina took numerous Caribbean cruises. He dove and spearfished barracuda around the rigs in the Gulf. He was an avid golfer all his life and enjoyed playing golf with Tina and Anthony. He loved to fish, especially in Cozumel where he caught numerous Mahi-mahi and a sailfish; hunt at the family cabin, the lease and out of Verna's barn were he took a nice buck; tended to the yearly garden, especially his lemon trees, and loved to cook.

Tony always stayed busy whether it was building the patio, fences and deck at home, tile work, painting, non-stop projects and upgrades and cleaning house; working at Tina's family cabin in Hill Country remodeling and painting with other family members the bathrooms, hall, bedrooms and back porch, where he also loved to hunt axis and hogs. Working at Skidmore on the family property clearing land, fixing plumbing, building a drive up covered patio with deck; continuously doing projects and upgrades at his Mom and Dad's house, Verna's house and always willing and able to help anybody at any time.

Tony was a devoted and loving husband, father, son, uncle, and best friend. Family came first and meant the world to him and he made sure everyone was taken care of and provided for. He loved family get-to-gathers and pool parties at the house, birthdays, and holidays. He could sit and passionately talk with you for hours in detail about the bible, history, world events, including times, dates and names and rarely was there a subject he was not knowledgeable about.

Tony was loved deeply by his family and most of all he loved them and he will be greatly missed.

Tony is preceded in death by his parents Delbert Anthony Brandon and Shirley Clarice Brandon whom he selflessly took care of until their passing

Tony is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Tina Brandon; loving son, John Anthony Brandon (Lindsay); three grandchildren, Liam Brandon, Emma Brandon, and Ainsley Brandon; brother, Duane Brandon; sister, Diane Morrow; aunt, Yvonne Dobbins; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children.

Visitation will be held from 5 PM until 9 PM on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at Memory Gardens Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will take place at 9:30 AM, on Thursday, January 4, 2023, at Memory Gardens Funeral Home, followed by Rite of Committal and Interment with Final Military Honors at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.