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February 18, 1947

April 19, 2023

February 18, 1947 -- April 19, 2023

William `Billy` J. Brandt, Age:76

William “Billy” J. Brandt, age 76, of Chicago, IL, passed away Wednesday, April 19, surrounded by the love of his family.

Billy was born to proud parents, George and Helen (nee Zaremba) Brandt, on a farm in Barrington IL and grew up in Chicago, IL, in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. He attended Hans Christian Andersen Elementary School and attended St. Stephen of Hungary Parish. While a member of this parish, Billy received 11 community service awards.

Billy was renowned in the Chicago Park District for his prowess in basketball and baseball. There was not a court that didn’t know his name. When Billy wasn’t dominating the courts, he served as a lifeguard and he had even saved several lives.

As a member of the Gordon Tech class of 1965, Billy competed on the track, basketball, and baseball teams. He was also a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council for three years, on the debate team for two years, and his class president for senior year.

Nicknamed “Lightning”, he was once introduced as, “Number 44 in our playbooks and number 1 in our hearts”. On May 30, 2002, Billy received the honor of being inducted in the Gordon Tech Hall of Fame at Holy Name Cathedral. On May 29th, 1965, the Athletic Director of Gordon Tech, Fr. Edward Dubel, C.R. said, “Pound for pound, and inch for inch, Billy Brandt is the finest three sport student athlete that Gordon Tech will ever produce.”

Following graduation, Billy attended Arizona State University on a baseball scholarship where he achieved a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Engineering. While at the university, he was a member of the baseball and basketball teams.

During his junior year he earned a position as first alternate player for the 1968 United States Olympic basketball team. He was elected to Athletes in Action Hall of Fame for the years 1965-1972 in both baseball and basketball and named academic All-American for two years and president of Feed the Children Organization at the university.

Shortly after receiving his degree, Billy enrolled in the United States Army where he was initially assigned an engineering position. He was a member of the All-Army Basketball Team and worked in the burn and psych-ward at Brooks Hospital at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX.

After serving in the Army, he lived in several places and enjoyed extensive travels before returning to his home of Chicago.

Billy was a lover of movies, music, culture, literature, and the arts. In April 1985, Billy entered The Great Frame Up on Higgins in need of a picture frame. There he met Marla and left with not just one, but several frames and two more posters. That week he called the store three times and that was all she wrote. They went on their first date on April 19th. After meeting Amber, Marla’s daughter, who was three years old at the time, Billy was smitten and later confessed he fell in love with Amber before he fell in love with Marla. One of his main goals in life was to be Amber’s dad, which he did with all of his heart.

While fulfilling his roles as husband, father, and entrepreneur, he still found time to give back to his community. Being a dad didn’t stop his love for basketball and he was able to share that with his daughter, Amber, by coaching her basketball team at Divine Savior Grade School.

Billy and Marla shared a love of travel which they instilled in their daughter by bringing her on some of their extensive travels which included various locations in the U.S., Europe, and Peru.

During their 38 years together, Marla and Billy enjoyed a myriad of movies, concerts, plays, travel, and so many wonderful times with so many fabulous friends. Billy was a magnet for children and animals and was loved by many. Our memories of Billy will forever be cherished and remembered.

Billy is survived by his loving wife, Marla Wickstrom-Brandt (nee Martensen); his cherished daughter, Amber (nee Wickstrom) (Shaun) Wishnevski; three grandchildren, Harper, Jack, and Smith; nieces and nephew, Joseph Loda, Kim Martino, Georgette Tobey, and Laura Thon.

He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Helen; his siblings, Linda and Jimmy; and in-laws Michael and Sarah (nee Ruhlow) Martensen

A visitation to celebrate Billy’s life will be held Friday, June 9, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with military honors and a service at 7:30 p.m. at Olson Burke/ Sullivan Funeral & Cremation Center, 6471 N Northwest Hwy., Chicago, IL 60631.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s, World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy, or Habitat for Humanity so we can honor his love of children, wildlife, and the earth.

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Obituary Detail

William `Billy` J. Brandt, Age:76

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