Memorial: Tom Brandon

Thomas (Tom) Lee Brandon was born on September 4, 1943. He was a life-long resident of Pasco, the community he deeply loved.

Sometimes a community is blessed with an individual who so completely believes in the people and town that its trajectory changes. That’s the case with Tom Brandon.

He graduated from Pasco High in 1961 where he played football, basketball, and baseball. Brandon then played football at Columbia Basin College before continuing his education at Western WashingtonUniversity (WWU), where he also played football. In 1962 Brandon married his childhood sweetheartCarolyn Carter, and in 1965 he graduated from WWU with a degree in education.

Upon returning to Pasco, Brandon started his career teaching sixth grade at Mark Twain Elementarybefore moving to teach and coach at McLoughlin Junior High (now McLoughlin Middle School and thesame place in met wife Carolyn years prior).

Additionally, he was a principal at Captain Gray Elementary and was the fi rst principal at McGee Elementary. In 1993 he became executive director of operations for the school district. He loved being involved in schools and with the children and families who were part of them.

Brandon was absolutely committed to providing Pasco children with a superior learning environment. To that end, he was instrumental in helping pass numerous bonds to build or replace schools and levies to help create engaging activities and safe schools. Under Brandon’s leadership, signifi cant eff orts were made to assure that schools were provided in every Pasco neighborhood, something that was not existent in the mid-nineties.

Aft er leading the construction of Whittier Elementary, he oversaw the construction and renovation of several more dozen district building projects – most notably, Pasco’s second high school Chiawana, and the improvements to Edgar Brown Stadium. In 1996 Brandon was named to the Pasco High School Hall of Fame, and in 2020 he was inducted into Columbia Basin College Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a long-time member of the Pasco Kiwanis Club and served as president from 1998-99. Brandon volunteered at the Franklin County Historical Society and volunteered at the fi nish line for the Pasco Invite for more than 30 years.

Brandon passed away on November 24, 2023. He and Carolyn were married for 61 years. They have two daughters, Jody Brandon (John Beckner) and Brook Dauenhauer, six grandchildren, and four great- grandchildren.