Brandenstein, Richard Paul "Dick", age 81, departed this life for his heavenly home on March 29, 2024, with his family surrounding his bedside.  Dick was born in Evansville, Indiana, on March 3, 1943, to Paul Herbert Brandenstein and Anabel Butler Brandenstein.  Dick had a younger sister, Nancy, that he loved dearly, who passed away at the young age of 3 years old.  During his final days, Dick mentioned on several occasions that he was looking forward to seeing her again.

Dick grew up in New Harmony, Indiana, where he attended grade school and high school.  In fact, Dick and his father, Paul had some of the same teachers.  Dick would recall his teachers saying: "Dickie, your father was a great math student, you just have to work harder."  Dick's childhood home was located in proximity to a number of his close family members including his grandparents' and his aunt's home.  Dick had many fond memories of his childhood with his grandparents, aunt and other family members.  One of those special memories was when his aunt Rosie, who worked at a local restaurant, would often "sneak" him an ice cream cone out of the back door.  Dick's grandfather, August Brandenstein "Gus", was a deacon in the Baptist Church.   Dick would tell stories of hearing his grandfather and grandmother sing church hymns on the local radio show or how he would see his grandpa baptize individuals in the Wabash River; and in fact, one time when Dick was a young child, he decided to baptize a litter of kittens himself in a rain barrel, but naturally that didn't end up going as planned.  Dick enjoyed fishing, riding bikes, and exploring the Rappite compound, which was a deserted religious community that had settled in New Harmony in the 1880's.  He also enjoyed visiting his cousins in nearby Poseyville, Indiana.

Dick attended the University of Evansville where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.  After graduation, he worked for a United States Gypsum Plant as an accountant in Loogootee, Indiana.  In 1967 he was transferred to United States Gypsum Corporation, in Chicago, Illinois.  At corporate, he audited USG plants in the United States and Canada.  While living in Chicago, Dick met his wife, Patricia "Pat" Rae Peters and they married on September 13, 1969, in Pat's hometown of Princeton, Illinois.  In 1971, Dick transferred to Rew Materials where he took on a management position to locate viable markets, oversee the setup, operation and management of building materials warehouses across the United States.  During his employment with Rew Materials, Dick set up building materials warehouse companies in Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, Washington, and finally Tennessee.

Dick and Pat's son, August "AJ" Brandenstein was born in 1972 in Denver, Colorado and their daughter Brandy Brandenstein was born in 1976 in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Both AJ and Brandy were raised in DeSoto, Texas.  Dick greatly enjoyed the great outdoors and it was where you could often find him and his family whether it be sports with the kids, fishing, hunting, camping or traveling all around the United States by car on vacations.

One of Dick's dreams was that he always wanted to live on a lake.  Dick, Pat, AJ and Brandy took numerous vacations to various lakes over the years.  During one of Dick and Pat's vacations with some friends they visited Tims Ford Lake.  After that vacation, Dick and Pat knew that they had found where they wanted to retire and within 2 weeks after that vacation, they had bought an older home on the lake, in Winchester, TN.  Dick and Pat spent the next several months commuting from Pegram, TN., to Winchester to remodel the 1950's home they purchased.  Dick then retired a couple of years after moving to Winchester.  Dick enjoyed fishing for bass, catfish, stripers and especially crappie on the lake.  In fact, each year Dick would catch enough fish for the annual fish fry that Pat hosts in their back yard for her widow's ministry where they often serve more than fifty women.  Dick also enjoyed hunting, playing golf with his close buddies, spending time in New Harmony, Indiana, to visit friends and relatives and traveling to Murfreesboro, TN and Sherman Oaks, CA to visit his children and their families.

In addition to his parents, Dick was preceded in death by his sister, Nancy, and his step-mother Bettye Brandenstein.  He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Pat Brandenstein of Winchester; his son, AJ and his daughter in law Lauren Brandenstein of Sherman Oaks, California, his daughter, Brandy and his son in law Marty Anderson of Murfreesboro, TN., half-brother David Brandenstein and his wife Therese Brandenstein, half-sister Lisa (Brandenstein) Beard and her husband Dr. Lyle Beard as well as his grandchildren August Brandenstein, Jack Brandenstein, Cole Brandenstein, Emma Anderson, and Blake Anderson, and several cousins one of whom was like a brother to him, Billy Ray Butler of Poseyville, In.

Visitation will be held at Winchester First United Methodist Church at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday April 3rd with services following at 12:00 Noon. Pastor Joe Rutherford and Pastor Wanda Spencer officiating.  Interment will be in Poseyville, Cemetery in Poseyville, Indiana, at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, April 5, with Dick's cousin, Pastor Johnny Matsel officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Wings of Hope Widows Ministry, (a 501c 3 ministry co-founded by Dick's wife, Pat), 1309 North High Street, Winchester, TN., 37398, or Winchester First United Methodist Church, PO Box 427, Winchester, TN., 37398.