Col. David Dixon Brandt Jr. USAF (Retired)

Colonel David “Dave” Dixon Brandt, Jr. USAF (Ret.), age 92, died in Austin, Texas, on March 19, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. He was born September 28, 1931, in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, to David Dixon Brandt, Sr. and Florence Marie Brandt (Weller). Dave was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was married to the love of his life, Donna Lee Brandt (Jones) for over 65 years, until her passing in 2017. He grew up and attended school in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and California, where he graduated from high school. He attended the University of Kansas on an AFROTC scholarship where he met and married Donna. They married on January 20, 1952, and he graduated in April, 1954.

Dave began his military career commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, training to fly military jets. A good portion of his career was as an instructor training pilots from several countries, including Germany and Vietnam in the T-37 and T-38 airplanes. He went on to serve one tour of duty in Southeast Asia flying the B-57G. His last duty station was at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington D.C., serving as commander of the NE region of Civil Air Patrol. His decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, and Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters. While serving overseas, Dave and his family attended a mission church where he heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

Upon retirement, Dave and Donna moved to Austin, Texas, to serve in Christian missions and where he started his second career as a lay staff person with a division of Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) called, “Here’s Life Austin.” His Christian mission work included visits to Belize, Moscow (before the dissolution of the USSR), Riga, Latvia, and Ceadir-Lunga, Moldova. He trained men and women to share the “Four Spiritual Laws” in their native language, how to use “The Jesus Film” in evangelism settings, and how to work with The Gideons International to distribute Bibles in schools. Dave was an active member with The Gideons International and gave a Gideon New Testament to just about everyone he met. While on a mission trip to China in 1998, Dave was informed that his wife, Donna, had experienced a brain aneurysm and was in critical care back home in Texas. He immediately returned home finding Donna paralyzed on her left side and confined to a wheelchair. Though this launched Dave’s third career as a caregiver to Donna, it did not slow down their evangelism ministry.

For the next 19 years, Dave and Donna were a local mission team, teaching a “Foundations of Christian Life” class, leading “FAITH Evangelism” teams, distributing Gideon New Testaments, and supporting international missionaries. Following Donna’s passing in 2017, Dave continued serving in any opportunity God presented to him. He volunteered with the chaplain’s office at the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle, Texas, sharing the Gospel and studying the Bible with men in custody, and imparting wisdom hoping to see their lives change for the better. He also volunteered as a men’s coach at the Agape Pregnancy Resource Center in Round Rock, Texas, where he shared the Gospel and educated men on pregnancy decisions to support life. Just days before he fell ill, Dave shared Christ with two men he counseled at Agape and both men made a profession of faith. Dave loved his career in the military, his wife Donna, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. He was a loving and faithful man of God and will be dearly missed.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Donna, nephew John Applegate, and niece Janice Pushaw. He is survived by his sister, Constance Applegate of Maryland; son Davie and wife Jane Ann; daughter Dedie and husband Clay; and son Duane; grandchildren Brandee, LeAnn and husband Adrian, Ed and wife Rachel, Nicholas and wife Rebecca, Matthew and wife Sarah, David IV and wife Britni, Melissa and husband Adam, Judith and husband Josh, Caroline and husband Darrell, Alex and wife Megan, Zach and wife Kathryn, Chris and wife Tiffany, Mitch, and Deanna Joy; and 27 great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cru, Agape PRC Round Rock, and The Gideons International.

A visitation for David will be held Saturday, April 13, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, 5416 Parkcrest Drive, Austin, TX 78731. A funeral service will occur Sunday, April 14, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Anderson Mill Baptist Church, 10633 Lake Creek Pkwy, Austin, TX 78750. A graveside service will occur Monday, April 15, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209.