Denise June Branham

Denise “Dee Dee” June Branham (Davis) was born on October 26, 1960 in Eustis, Florida to Marilyn and Gary Davis. Dee Dee and her sister, Tammie, grew up on Lake Joanna in Eustis and spent much of their free time in the water. Dee Dee’s love of the water led her to be a top tier swimmer at Eustis High School, and she even held the Florida high school record for breaststroke for many years. She attended Auburn University where she spent time on the swim team and majored in health/recreation and PE with minors in biology, chemistry and calculus. After Auburn, Dee Dee started teaching at Spencer High School in Columbus, Georgia, where she met her husband Jeff, whom she married on July 27,1985. After the birth of their daughter Ashley, Dee Dee started a new job teaching and coaching at Brookstone School in Columbus, Georgia. She coached cross country, track, golf, cheerleading and basketball all while starting new courses at Brookstone, such as forensics and marine biology. She also served as dean of students and was a grade chair for numerous high school classes, including the class of 2024.

Dee Dee loved the beach, teaching, tending to her flowers, needlepointing, floating in her pool, and playing with her dogs. Dee Dee’s greatest joys in her life were her family and friends. She became a grandmother in April 2024, and spent every possible moment loving on her new grandbaby.

Dee Dee was preceded in death by her father Gary Davis and her mother Marilyn “Sissie” Davis. She is survived by her husband Jeff Branham of Columbus, Georgia; daughter Ashley Branham (Kim) and granddaughter Demy of Columbus, Georgia; sister Tammie Parnell (Tad) of Dallas, Texas; niece and nephews Emily and Blake Parnell of Dallas, Texas; aunt Janelle Hicks (Bob) of Woodstock, Georgia; cousins Jenna Hicks (Betsy), Robyn Hicks and Tanner Hicks of Milton, Georgia; and other extended family members.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 19th at 1pm at Brookstone School in the Jordan Quadrangle. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation towards manatee conservation through the Friends of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. https://friendsofthecrystalriver.org/