Robert Edwin Branand

Born on February 18, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois, Bob was the son of the late Edmond and Betty (Omara) Branand. Bob studied law at the University of Denver, Georgetown University Law Center, and the Hague Academy of International Law. Following his legal studies, Bob was counselor to Assistant Attorney General Mike McKevitt and served in several roles on Capitol Hill, including as a counsel to now Senator Charles E. Grassley and to the House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs. After leaving the Hill, he went into private practice at his law firm, Robert Branand International, helping U.S. manufacturers to export their equipment around the globe and to protect them from unfair trade practices at home. In this capacity, Bob travelled the world—conducting business across six continents. He was often accompanied by his beloved wife (Dee Dee) and his equally loved three children (Brandt, Brian, and Brittany), exposing them to diverse cultures and building their character and confidence.

Bob never met a stranger. He stopped to talk to, and help if he could, any person within his very large orbit. Friends estimate that he meaningfully touched the hearts of thousands of people, both in service—as a Knight of Sovereign Military Order of Malta, where, among other things, he worked on the ground to aid survivors of the Haitian earthquake and Hurricane Katrina—and simply as a kind soul. As a man, he worked hard for his clients, creatively and resourcefully solving challenges they faced and affording them new opportunities. As a father, he nurtured, inspired, and was ever-present in his children’s lives. He coached all his kids’ basketball teams, made every performance, and taught leadership and integrity by example. Bob believed family came first and cherished the biannual family trips to the top skiing and surfing spots in the world, each full of bonding adventures. He never uttered the words “can’t do” and coined and embodied the family motto, “never give up.” Bob exuded joy and happiness and was always a source of optimism and encouragement. To know him was to love him.

Bob and Dee Dee were married for fifty years, a long and fruitful partnership, from both a business and personal perspective. But it was the success and happiness of their children that brought him the most fulfillment. He is survived by his devoted wife, Dee Dee (Brandt), his three children: Brandt (Trinidad), Brian (Kasey), and Brittany (Alex), and Dee Dee’s Godson Zach. To his three grandchildren, Beau, Zariyah, and Halle, he will forever be remembered as “Papa,” and all the love and adventure that name signifies to them.

A mass to celebrate his life will be held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, November 30, at 11:00 a.m. It will be followed by a reception at the Branand home, lovingly thought of as a second home by many who also grew up there and were the beneficiaries of Bob’s love and influence. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name to SHARE Food Network at www.catholiccharitiesdc.org/program/share-food-network, where he donated countless early Saturday mornings to feeding those in need, would be greatly appreciated.