Kenneth Earl Brandenburg, 79, of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, passed away peacefully at the Hospice of Chattanooga Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 9, 2017.
He was born in Mt. Sterling, Ky., to parents, Kenneth C. and Mary Belle (Rice) Brandenburg, and was raised in Kentucky, Georgia, and New Jersey. He attended the University of Kentucky and Georgia Tech, where he graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1960. After completing Officers Candidate School, he was stationed as a Naval Lieutenant in Alaska, was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for his performance as a liason officer during the Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, and was assigned as assistant resident officer in charge of reconstruction in Kodiak, Alaska after the earthquake.
Ken moved his family to Signal Mountain, and began his long career as an architect with the firm Derthick & Henley (now Derthick Henley & Wilkerson) in 1966. Ken was highly respected in his profession, was the Tennessee AIA (American Institute of Architecture) president in 1975, Member Emeritus of the Chattanooga Chapter of CSI (Contractors Specification Institute), and was recognized in January 2017 as the longest active member of the Chattanooga chapter. The Ken Brandenburg Award is still the highest award given annually in recognition of outstanding service given to this chapter.
Ken was very involved with both the Signal Mountain and Chattanooga communities. Ken served on the committee to help save the Walnut Street Bridge and on the Chattanooga Opera Board. Ken was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga for many years and supervised the building of the second story of the current church building.
Ken's favorite spot was standing on a tennis court, and he cherished the comradery he experienced over many decades at the Racquet Club, Manker Patten Tennis Club and The Fairyland Club. He was infamous for his “dink” shot. He taught his son some valuable lessons on the court: never give up, fight to the end, and always be a gentleman. One of his Manker Patton friends stated he was always fun to be around, the type of person who could disagree with you without being disagreeable.
Ken is survived by his wife, Anita (Mallicoat) Brandenburg, his sister, Mary Lynn Bradshaw (Lacy), his daughter, Wendy Brandenburg McNabb (Ryan), his son, Eric Hamlin Brandenburg (Sandra), his granddaughters Rebecca and Casey McNabb and grandson Trevor Brandenburg, his first cousin Raymond Hornback (Betty), his niece Terilyn Green (Jim), nephew Stephen Bradshaw (Kim) and his constant companion, Gabbye.
There will be a Celebration of Life and Reception held at the Fairyland Club on Friday April 28, at 3 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring their best “Brandenburg” story to share at the Celebration.
Arrangements are by the South Crest Chapel of Lane Funeral Home and Crematory, at the end of historic Missionary Ridge, Rossville.