It is with heavy hearts that we send condolences to Claude’s loved ones.
Claude was well respected and dedicated to the Capitol Hill community.
He’d been a tireless champion of bicycle safety and fire prevention for over 20 years.
7/21/1933 ~ 7/22/2017
Claude R. Brandt passed away peacefully July 22nd after battling the after-effects of a concussion.
Born near Sallanches, France, of Swiss parents, Claude, his two brothers and sister grew up in Wisconsin on a small farm, under the supervision of their father, a talented engineer, and their fantastic mother.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Claude served in the US Air Force as Armament Officer based in France from 1957-1959.
Claude followed in his father’s profession, mechanical engineering. After service in the US Air Force, Claude, with his two brothers, built West Mountain Ski Area near Glens Falls, NY, in 1961. West Mountain still operates, providing a “Mountain of Fun since ’61” for many folks, especially kids, from nearby communities.
Soon after, Claude, with his brother Paul, acquired the first dealership for tracked vehicles, manufactured by Thiokol in Logan, UT. For the Lake Placid 1980 Olympics, Claude designed and built the first winch grooming system for a tracked snow grooming vehicle, needed to groom the ski jump outrun, and a prototype snow tiller for the icy X-C course.
After moving to Salt Lake City in 1988, Claude continued to design innovative machinery for Entec, Quantronics, and Back to Basics.
He is survived by his wife, Loraine, brothers Paul and Mike, children Carol, Paul and Douglas, and five grandchildren. He was a loyal supporter of the Salt Lake Symphony. Any donations may be made to the Salt Lake Symphony at www.saltlakesymphony.org.
Published in Deseret News on Aug. 1, 2017