Dorothy Jean Brandon

Dorothy "Jean" Brandon, 83, of Cleveland was called home to be with the Lord early Monday morning, September 4, 2023. She was born in Eagleville, Tennessee on February 5, 1940, and was a member of the Cleveland community for over 60 years. Mrs. Brandon was a member of Westwood Baptist Church at the time of her passing.

Mrs. Brandon earned her B.A. in secondary education English from Belmont University in 1962 and her M.A. in educational leadership from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1986. Jean began her teaching career at Templeton Hill and was moved to Arnold Elementary school when Templeton Hill closed. Throughout her teaching career she earned many accolades, including Teacher of the year for Cleveland City Schools and local TEA Distinguished Classroom Teacher. Jean spent many years in the classroom before moving into her role as parent-teacher coordinator to pursue her passion of connecting students' education with their home life. Jean completed her 51-year long career in the Cleveland City Schools system in her parent-teacher coordinator role at Blythe Bower Elementary School. Jean loved connecting with students and parents and believed developing the parent-school relationship was the key to their children's success. As such, she created many innovative after-school opportunities for parents to connect with their children, and she often brought her own grandchildren along to teach them the value of family. Jean's strong Biblical sense of family was instilled in her by her mother and father and lives on in her children's families today.

Jean loved to sew, quilt, cook, bake, solve crossword puzzles, and praise the Lord with her musical talents. She used her whole life to serve others, either through leading the puppet ministry at church, volunteering her free time to help at after-school activities, singing and playing the organ and piano during Sunday morning worship, cooking a meal for a local family in need, sewing beautiful dresses from scratch for her daughters, fixing dance costumes for her granddaughters, making sure her students had food on snow days, or offering up a kind listening ear. All while bringing her children and grandchildren along to show them how to love others and serve the Lord. Jean Brandon spent her whole life embodying Christ in her unconditional love and service to others.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Reverend Marion Leonard Arbuckle Sr. and Carnettie Robinson Arbuckle. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Elvis Nash Brandon III; her children and spouses, Elvis Nash IV (Lori) Brandon, Susan (Randy) Smith, and Jennifer (Wade) Sacca; her nine grandchildren, Cody (Paige) and Noah Brandon, Alexandria, Jake, Ben, and Luke Smith, and Matt (Sean), Cole, and Sydney Sacca; her siblings, Linda (William) George, Sue (Douglas) Newberry, and Reverend Marion Leonard (Glenda) Arbuckle Jr.; and several nieces and nephews.

A homegoing service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, September 9th in the sanctuary at Westwood Baptist Church, with Reverend Marion Arbuckle Jr. officiating. Interment will be held in the Veterans section of the Fort Hill Cemetery with Cody and Noah Brandon, Jake, Ben, and Luke Smith, and Matt and Cole Sacca serving as pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Friday, September 8th from 4-7pm and Saturday September 9th from 1-2pm at Westwood Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Samaritan's Purse. The family would like to thank the Cody family at Companion funeral home for helping us give Jean the services she deserves.