Jack Lee Brandon

He learned the virtues of hard work and responsibility from afternoons and weekends at his father’s grocery store. His dad also taught him that the most important thing is your word and that no one should walk down the street unable to look others in the eye for fear of lack of respect. He developed a faithful reliance on the Bible through his mother, equally a hard-working parent who took care of the cooking, cleaning, sewing, canning, painting, and whatever needed fixing. Academically gifted, Jack completed the Plan II program at The University of Texas at Austin and earned his law degree there in 1954. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He met his beloved wife of 65 years, Jayne Louise Winslow, on a blind date while both were undergraduates. They married in 1953 and cherished each other with genuine kindness, love, and trust.

Jack served two years in Okinawa, Japan with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Army just after the Korean War ended, accompanied by Jayne and their baby daughter Elizabeth. He left the service as a Captain in 1957. They returned to Jayne’s hometown of Houston, where he became an oil and gas attorney. Jack had long careers in the law departments at Getty Oil Company and then Kerr-McGee Corporation, serving both in executive leadership positions. Their daughters Martha and Catherine and son Frank were born in the early 1960s in Houston. Jack’s Getty career took the family to Los Angeles in 1976. With a sentimental heart for the good work done there for decades by good people, he was the last to leave and lock the door of the company headquarters after Getty was acquired by a competitor. Jack’s Kerr-McGee career then took him and Jayne to Oklahoma City. Colleagues at both companies became some of their closest friends. He was well-respected and well-liked for his knowledge of the law, judgment, and integrity. Jack and Jayne came to Austin in 2007, to return to Texas and be closer to family after retirement.

Jack was a lifelong Baptist. He was a teacher, friend, and deacon, deeply engaged with the communities at Second Baptist in Houston; First Baptist in Glendale, CA; Village Baptist Church in Oklahoma City; and Austin Baptist Church (especially the dear Koinonia Class). In retirement, he volunteered at a local hospital and tutored at a public elementary school. He gave generously to causes he believed in. Jack left an inspiring impact upon the lives of his family and friends. He lived with firm convictions, humble gratitude, and intentional positive behavior.

From childhood, Jack loved history, Latin, Spanish and board games. As an adult, he liked to swim, garden, hike, and travel. He was a talented organizer and decorator of his home. Jack and Jayne moved to independent living at Buckner Villas in 2016. Up until the time of his passing, he was active in a Spanish book club, bridge group, and nightly dinner group. He enjoyed meeting new people and conversations with his many friends at Buckner, especially appreciating each of their life stories and current perspectives.

Jack was a loving, engaged, pure-hearted, trusted husband, dad, uncle, father-in-law, granddad, and great-granddad. He is greatly missed and treasured by his extended family. During his last month, God granted him the ability to say his goodbyes to family and friends with a clear mind. We each know that he loved us, and he knew he was loved.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother David Brandon, wife Jayne, daughter Elizabeth Brandon Garland, and granddaughter Kourtney Renee Brandon. He is survived by his son Frank Winslow Brandon (Bridget), son-in-law John Garland, and daughters Catherine Brandon Glazener (Wes) and Martha Brandon King (Charlie). He is also survived by grandchildren Claire Garland, Graham Garland, Hillary King Kaufmann (Nick), Jeremy King (Aimee), Alyssa Glazener Joshi (Suvid), Will Glazener, and Andrew Glazener, and his great-grandchildren Emmett King, Annabelle King, and Anthony Kaufmann.

A celebration of his life and resurrection will be held at 11:00am, Friday, August 16, 2024 at Austin Baptist Church, Austin, Texas. Funeral arrangements by Cook-Walden/Capital Parks.