Michael Francis Brand - 79

Michael Francis Brand passed away peacefully at Lightways Hospice on July 26, 2026 after a brief illness.

He has crossed over after a life well lived and well loved, to join his beloved wife of 58 years, Joann Brand nee Roman who preceded him in death on March 2, 2026.

'Mike', as he preferred to go by, was born September 12, 1946 to his parents Mary Margaret Lee and Gerald Brand both of whom have preceded him in death. He was the 2nd oldest son growing up on the south side of Chicago with his older brother Gerald James 'Jerry' and younger siblings, brother Terrence 'Terry' and sister Kathleen 'Kathy'.

Mike graduated from Mendel Catholic High School and received his BA from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign majoring in communications in 1968.

He married the love of his life, Joann on November 23, 1968 in Chicago Illinois, they met on a blind date in high school and the rest is history.

The newlyweds were very quickly relocated out of state after Mike was drafted for the Vietnam War receiving notice on Christmas Eve, 1968. He was stationed at Fort Gordon, Augusta, Georgia where their oldest daughter, Erin Lee (Mike Zajeski) was born on September 29, 1969.

After being honorably discharged, the young family returned to northern Illinois to start anew. He went on to do some brief stints in newscasting/ journalism before joining the company then known as Illinois Bell, where his father worked as a lineman, and put his communications degree to work.

His youngest daughter, Jennifer Elizabeth (Michael Drennan) was born February 11, 1973 in Elmhurst Illinois. The family soon relocated to Springfield, Illinois following his blooming career at Illinois Bell.

They returned back to Country Club Hills in 1976, where Mike went on to have a 35 year stint at the same company as it evolved into Ameritech and finally SBC - retiring as the Director of Corporate Media Relations at the young age of 55.

His storied career allowed him not only to provide for his family, but also to see the world with business trips to Switzerland and New Zealand being some of the highlights of his tenure that he recalled fondly.

Somewhere in the midst of being a telecom executive he still found the time to truly hone his renaissance skills as an avid baker (specializing in coffee cakes and kolaches), a passionate outdoorsman, backyard gardener, and a carpenter/tinkerer/putterer extraordinaire.

He was a man of endless intellectual curiosity and never missed an opportunity to explore the natural world that surrounds us. This lust for adventure drove many memorable family vacations exploring the beauty of the Eastern half of the U.S.

These rustic camping trips to scenic locales made an indelible impression on his daughters and are fondly recalled during our current day explorations inspired by his passion for the outdoors and historic sites.

After retirement, his intellectual curiosity and diligent record keeping led to him embark on a years long project compiling the Brand/Lee family history going back to the early 1700s and creating a publication of his research that will be cherished for years to come. This project also allowed him to connect with distant relatives around the country which brought him great joy to find.

Mike and Joann went on to buy a 10 acre parcel in rural Green Garden Township building their beloved homestead where they have resided since 1999. Mike's endless energy turned an old agricultural zone into a lush forested area where he happily spent hours on his faithful Kubota tractor restoring the natural beauty to the property and creating a woodland paradise in rural Will county. The seedlings planted in their passion project have grown into majestic trees offering an oasis and wildlife haven for the 'critters' of the area for years to come.

Mike was a man of simple needs, clever ideas, quick wit and the biggest of hearts. He cultivated so many things in his lifetime and inspired so much in those who loved him. There will quite simply never be another man quite like him.

Mike's simple hope expressed recently is that all his loved ones, friends and family, go on to live comfortable happy lives- because as he put it -'I had a good life and accomplished everything I could have wanted'.

Dad your absence will be so deeply felt. We will forever miss your detailed email updates from Space.com and Farmers Almanac -

our fervent hope is that you've finally solved the mysteries of the cosmos that you so long enjoyed reading about.

A pragmatic thinker if there ever was one, that was Mike Brand.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date to be announced soon. Info 708-481-9230 and panozzobros.com