Roland Brandquist

Captain Roland “Ron” Brandquist, U.S. Navy (Retired) died on November 25th at the Somerford Place in Annapolis, Maryland of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 77 years old. Ron was born on September 18th, 1937, in Philadelphia, PA to Bror and Vera Brandquist, and raised in nearby Runnemede, NJ. He attended Audubon High School, where he lettered in Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Track. Ron entered the U.S. Naval Academy where he played varsity football as #49 for three years and was a member of the victorious Cotton Bowl squad in 1958. He also served as company commander his senior year. Ron’s military career spanned three decades of the Cold War. After graduating from the Naval Academy with the class of 1960, Ron served on five diesel submarines at sea as a junior officer. He then “surfaced” and served as the commanding officer of USS Fresno (LST 1182). Ron continued command ashore, commanding the Naval Education and Training Center (NETC) in Newport, RI and the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, CA. During his military service, Ron also graduated with distinction from the Naval War College, earned a second Master’s degree from George Washington University in political science, and was elected Class Leader at MIT Program for Senior Executives. Upon retirement from the Navy, Ron continued working, becoming an award winning real estate agent in Coronado, CA, serving as President /CEO of the Naval Academy Alumni Association in Annapolis, MD, and, finally, continued supporting the military working at Strategic Insight in Washington DC. Throughout his life, Ron enjoyed outdoor sports and the water, whether swimming, canoeing, or speeding along in his beloved boat, Swedish Steel. He also loved card games, dancing, and often sang a tune. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 54 years, Janet; a sister Dolores Skogfeldt; three children, Geoffrey (and Margie) Brandquist, Kurt (and April) Brandquist, and Kristen (and Tom) Druggan; 10 grandchildren; and three great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 15th, 2014 at 11 a.m. at the US Naval Academy chapel, with interment to follow at the USNA columbarium. Following internment, a reception will be held at the Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence “N” Room at the Navy and Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Naval Academy Foundation’s Athletic Excellence (at https://www.usna.com/sslpage.aspx?pid=228) or the Alzheimer’s Association (at http://www.alz.org/).