Bill Brandon, 97, died peacefully Monday, Oct. 23, at his home in Lanier Village Estates, Gainesville, Ga.
Bill was a gentle man who was born June 5, 1920, in Sparta, to Rev. B.H. and Carrie Watson Brandon. He was the oldest of three children. Bill was pre-deceased by the love of his life, Billie Baldwin Brandon, in 2007.  They were married on Easter, 1944, in McMinnville and celebrated 63 loving years.  He was also pre-deceased by his parents, brother Henry L. Brandon and his niece Darryl Brandon. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Robert Bates of Murfreesboro; granddaughter Melissa (Adrian) Edsall, great-granddaughter Cambree Lynn Edsall and soon-to-be great grandson London Keith Edsall, all of Sevierville; sister-in-law Sue Baldwin, Winchester; nieces Brenda Thompson, Betty Johnstone, Kim Ronin, Bari Beth Lowndes, Robyn DeBray; nephews Eddie Rogers and Douglas Brandon.
Bill received his B.S. degree from MTSU in 1942 and his M.Ed. from Peabody/Vanderbilt in 1948.  He also pursued advanced graduate studies at UT Knoxville. He was active in high school and college athletics where he played on the MTSU football team. Bill was a member of Sigma Chi, the Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite and the Shriners. He proudly became a 32-degree Mason in 1958. Bill was also a member of the First United Methodist Church in Gainesville. He enjoyed history, golf and watching Georgia Tech football, the Braves and the Atlanta Falcons.
His working life included coaching and educational administration in McMinnville and Nashville, Winchester, Trion, Ga., and DeKalb County, Ga. He changed careers in 1957 becoming a sales executive for Jostens Inc. in Atlanta, Ga., and later the SE regional manager for the Herff Jones Company in Atlanta. He retired from Herff Jones Dec. 31, 1985.  He and Billie resided in Roswell, Ga., until moving to Lanier Village Estates, Gainesville, in 2001.
His funeral service was held Thursday, Oct. 26, at Watson North Funeral Home, 405 Sharp Springs Road, Winchester. Services were conducted by Rev. Gary Wedgewood and Rev. Earl Davis. Burial followed at Franklin Memorial Gardens, Winchester.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. EST at the Chapel at Lanier Village in Gainesville. This service will be conducted by chaplin Richard Evans. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the United Methodist Children’s Home, 1967 Lakeside Parkway, Bldg. 400, Tucker, Ga., 30084 or MTSU Foundation, Office of Development, MTSU P.O. Box 109, Murfreesboro. 37132. Online condolences may be shared at www.watsonnorth.com.