WHIT BRANDON 1973 - 1986 PILOT DEN Jake, the following sad note is from Dennis Cox, presently flying for USAirways. Whitney Brandon is a really great guy. Whit married Peggy Howell daughter of the late Captain Jack Howell and herself a stewardess at FAL. I called Dennis and he said it looks like Whit has only days or even hours left: "As most of you know Whitney has been fighting cancer for a number of years. As recently as several months ago he thought he was winning that fight. After his last visit to the hospital he realized that he was running out of conventional treatment options. He applied for and was accepted into an experimental program at the new Colorado University Hospital located at the old Fitzsimmons Army Hospital location. Unfortunately after completing that program he was no better. Earlier this week Whitney took a serious turn for the worse. He is now under Hospice care at home. He is in considerable amount of pain and is being medicated heavy for the pain. Peggy has gathered the family around him and his prospects are not good. Peggy says that even though Whitney put up a good fight it does not appear that he will be with us very much longer. The family is with him and they are making him as comfortable as possible. Whitney is not able to talk on the phone and Peggy is not accepting many calls for obvious reasons. Dennis Cox" -Billy Walker (4/23/01) Whit has now left us for his final flight West. Smooth Air, warm soft tail winds Whitney, and a bright star to steer by, -Billy Walker (4/24/01) Subj: Services for Whitney Brandon Please be advised there will be a memorial service for Whitney Brandon on Friday, April 27th at 1300 MDT at the Mile High Church 9070 West Alameda Ave in Lakewood, Colorado. (Alameda and Garrison). Family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be sent in Whitney’s name to any agency supporting cancer research. -Ace Avakian (4/25/01) We lost one of our pilots recently. Name of Whitney Brandon. I belive he had cancer. thats all the info I have. He lived in Denver. -Mike Hampton (4/27/01) Whitney "Whit" Brandon fought a terrific battle of colon cancer that lasted several years. Recently, I spoke with Whit on the phone. He sounded good, and was optimistic about trying a new medicine. Cheryl and I were heightened with Whit's optimism and felt there was a good chance with this new drug albeit this was not to be the case. I know he lasted as long as he did due to his great physical conditioning and the love and support he receive from Peggy, his family, and friends. I had the pleasure of sharing the flight deck with Whit on several occasions. He was an excellent pilot and such a pleasure to be around. Whit was the son-in-law of the late Jack Howell. Jack, Director of Pilot Training, was the captain on the ill-fated DHC-6 accident in PUB. Whit married Peggy Howell who was a F/A with FAL. They were truly a beautiful couple. Both Whit and Peggy are the type of people everyone loved being around. They shared so many things together. They were very active sports enthusiasts and did a lot of bike riding. Whit came with Frontier in the 70's. I don't have the exact dates, but will ask Dennis to get you those for the FAL Obit page. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FLYING WEST I hope there's a place, way up in the sky, Where pilots can go, when they have to die. A place where a guy can buy a cold beer For a friend and a comrade, whose memory is dear; A place where no doctor or lawyer can tread , Nor a management type would ere be caught dead; Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke, Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke; The kind of a place where a lady could go And feel safe and protected, by the men she would know. There must be a place where old pilots go, When their paining is finished, and their airspeed gets low, Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young, And songs about flying and dying are sung, Where you'd see all the fellows who'd flown west before, And they'd call out your name, as you came through the door. Who would buy you a drink, if your thirst should be bad, And relate to the others, "He was quite a good lad!" And then through the mist, you'd spot an old guy You had not seen in years, though he taught you to fly. He'd nod his old head, and grin ear to ear; And say, "Welcome, my son, I'm pleased that you're here." "For this is the place where true flyers come," "When their journey is over, and the war has been won." "They've come here at last to be safe and alone" "From the government clerks and the management clone," "Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise," "Where all hours are happy, and these good ole boys" "Can relax with a cool one, and a well deserved rest;" "This is heaven, my son......You've passed your last test! -Billy Walker (4/28/01) Just a short note to let you know that Whit lost his battle with cancer on Monday the 23rd of April. I hate to let you know by e-mail but it is best for now. I will miss him so much and I know that all his close friends will as well. -Peggy Howell Brandon (4/29/01) The following is the obituary for Whitney as it appear in the Denver Post for Wednesday, April 25, 2001. -Billy Walker (5/3/01) I'm sorry to hear of Whit's passing. We spoke on e-mail and he told me that he was on disablity leave from AAL with cancer. We flew together on many occasions and I remember that he was an excellent pilot. Another gone west. -Clyde Hart (5/4/01) W A BRANDON Pilot seniority date of 6/04/73 per the 9/1/86 FL/ALPA Seniority List. -Jake Lamkins (3/22/15) FLacebook - FL Club DEN pilot Whit Brandon's memorial webpage has been upgraded: http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Whit_Brandon.html Still need a photo of Whit. -Jake Lamkins (3/23/15) Always enjoyed flying with Whitney. He was such a nice man. -Roberta Karr (3/23/15) Whitney was a sweetheart! -Shari Salsbury (3/23/15) Whitney was one of the Best. -Irene Fairweather (3/23/15) Miss ya man !! -Ed Woodson (3/23/15)