Jeffrey Brandon January 3, 1950 - July 20, 2023
Miami Beach, Florida Jeffrey Brandon, 73, of Miami Beach, FL and Stowe, VT passed away on July 20 surrounded by his loved ones after a long battle with cancer.
He was born in Oceanside, California to William Edward and Polly Brandon. The son of a U.S. Marine officer, Jeff had an itinerant childhood, including stints in Helsinki, Finland and Quantico, Virginia before spending his high school years in Raleigh, North Carolina. He studied political science at Duke University, where he also played on the Blue Devils basketball team. He often told stories of summers spent selling books door-to-door in the Rust Belt, where he honed his beloved blend of business savvy and easygoing charisma. After college, his adventurous spirit took him traveling, and he spent time in Spain and Morocco before falling in love with the dynamism of Miami. Over the course of nearly 50 years in the real estate industry, he changed the commercial landscape of South Florida. He developed shopping centers and, in recent years, a teaching hospital in partnership with Nova Southeastern University.
Jeff met his wife of nearly 40 years, Irene (nee Richard), a disc jockey and radio personality, on a blind date. Together they had two daughters, Alexandra, 34, and Jacqueline, 32.
Jeff was a deeply spiritual person who practiced meditation and trained as a yoga teacher. He believed in giving back to his community and counseled and mentored many. He volunteered his time selflessly and was active in his local neighborhood of Sunset Island.
Jeff had a magnetic personality and the ability to connect with everyone he encountered. He exuded warmth and a genuine curiosity. For every unique life situation, he had a witty aphorism at hand.
In more recent years, Jeff and Irene made a home in Stowe, Vermont. He enjoyed summers walking in the woods with his adored rescue terrier, Toby.
He is survived by his wife, Irene, his two daughters, Alexandra (Dexter Lewis) and Jacqueline (Adrian Turcato) and his three grandsons, Simon Brandon, Asa Brandon and Ezra Lewis, as well as his mother Polly and brother Stephen Brandon.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, July 23 at 11 a.m. at the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (and on Zoom at https://www.jcogs. org/event/memorial-service-for-jeffrey-brandon. html) and at Temple Beth Shalom on Miami Beach in the Fall. Details to be determined.
Coconut Creek, Florida - Shirley grew up in Donora Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Martin Shrut; her parents Abraham and Sarah Anstanding; and her brothers, Louis Anstandig and Myer Anstandig.
Her inimitable “joie de vivre” will always be remembered and cherished by her three daughters: Dr. Arlene Shrut (Gary Kendall), Nancy Shrut Matczak (Rabbi Barry Altman), and Barbara Shrut (Steven Gretenstein), and her grandchildren Mark and Julie Gretenstein.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Shirley’s memory to a charity of their choice.