William Warren Brant

WILLIAM (BILL) BRANT

BRIGHAM CITY -William (Bill) Warren Brant, after an extended battle with a brain tumor, on September 25, 2003 , I left this earthly world for the next great adventure. I was born on December 24, 1933, in Brook, Indiana, to William Earnest Brant and Beatrice Carrie (Heath) Brant. I attended grade and high school in Brook, Gilboa and Remington, Indiana. I was a cheer leader for the Remington Rifles as my athletic powers were average, but not spectacular. All through high school and on summer breaks from college I worked for Bob and Joe Nussbaum on their poultry farm where I truly learned the value of honest labor and loyalty. Highlights from these years include frequent swimming trips to Bloom's gravel pit and roller-skating at the Rink in Indiana Beach in Monticello. My university time was all at Purdue University where I earned a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering and was commissioned a Second Lt. in the USAF Reserves (1955) and subsequently earned a Master's Degree in Engineering (1956). I then immediately went on active duty and served my two-year tour of duty commitment at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, as a Research and Development Staff Assistant. My next move in life (1958) was to pull up my Midwestern roots and move to Brigham City, Utah, and employment with what was then Thiokol Chemical Corporation. That proved to be a very sound decision as I continued there for 37 years. In 1961, I met and, on August 4, 1961, married the love of my life, Karen Ruth Nielsen. In April 1968, we received our son, William Clyde, and in May 1970, our daughter, Nicole Carrie. Our family activities included gardening, yard decoration, room remodeling (including digging out a basement under our home) and trying to stay up with the school activities of our children. Vacations primary consisted of camping, hiking and fishing as they fit well into the budget. Bill C. earned his Master's Degree in Business Information Systems from Utah State and Nikki her Triple Bachelor's in English, Communication and Sales from Weber State University. As for my professional career with Thiokol, it included time in Program Management, primarily on the Bomarc, the Mobile Mid-Range Ballistic Missile Program and the Poseidon/Trident rocket motor programs, a few years as Manager of the Process and Product Development Department of the Research and Development Laboratory, Vice President Navy Strategic Programs, Vice President of Manufacturing and completing my career from May 1990 to Feb 1995 as Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations Division. These times were often difficult and demanding, but the personal relationships established there were both permanent and rewarding. To me, the most significant recognitions I received were the "Distinguished Engineering Alumnus" award in April 1991 and the "Outstanding Aerospace Engineer" award in Oct 1999, both of these being awarded by Purdue University. My long-term organizational affiliations were with Masonic fellowship, F&AM (since 1955) and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, AIAA (since 1951). I leave as my survivors; my wife, Karen, our son, William (Cellia) Brant, our daughter Nikki (Chad) Sevy, my sister Betty Lou (David) Jamieson and wonderful in-laws, nieces and nephews. In parting, one of my favorite quotations is from Ben Franklin, "Our friend and we are invited abroad on a party of pleasure which is to last forever. His chair was ready first, and he is gone before us. We could not all conveniently start together, and why should you and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and know where to find him?" One last thought, from an unknown author: "Do your best and then sleep in peace. God is awake."
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 1, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. at Myers Mortuary Chapel, 205 S. 100 E., Brigham City.
Friends may call on Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on Wednesday from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. all at the Mortuary.
Interment will be in the Brigham City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, I would appreciate donations to be made to Shriners Hospital, Alpine Hospice and Huntsman Cancer Center. They all treated me well.
VisitationMyers Mortuary - Brigham City
205 South 100 East
Brigham City, UT 84302
September 30, 2003
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
ServiceMyers Mortuary - Brigham City
205 South 100 East
Brigham City, UT 84302
October 1, 2003
11:00 AM
CemeteryBrigham City Cemetery
325 South 300 East
Brigham City, Utah 84302
October 1, 2003