Henry earned a degree in accounting, graduating with honors from the University of Missouri, and began his business career with Arthur Andersen & Associates in Kansas City, Missouri. Over the next forty-eight years, his career took him to various locations, including Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi. One of the highlights of his career was his work at Bellwood Industries in Ackerman, Mississippi, where he spent more than twenty years. He retired on his seventy-seventh birthday.
A dedicated civic volunteer, Henry was a member of the Lions Club for fifty years and was actively involved in the Rotary Club. He also served as Mississippi chairman of the national advisory council of the U.S. Small Business Administration, was a member of the National Accounting Association, and served as past chairman of the Winston County Republican Party. Additionally, he was elected to the school board in Toombs County, Georgia, and served as a Boy Scout leader. In retirement, Henry enjoyed volunteering at the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge.
A man of deep faith, Henry served the church throughout his life. He helped organize an Episcopal parish in Vidalia, Georgia, and later served as a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Mississippi. Raised in the Catholic Church, he explored various Protestant denominations over the years and enjoyed engaging in thoughtful discussions about church teachings. In Louisville, he attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Saturdays and First Presbyterian Church on Sundays.
Henry had many hobbies, including running, which he started in the 1960s before it became popular. He ran two marathons, participated in numerous 5K races organized by the Mississippi Track Club, and competed in the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans, and the Mississippi Senior Olympics. He also qualified for several events at the U.S. Senior Olympics in Pittsburgh, PA. Often, he could be seen running in the park by the tennis courts in Louisville.
Another passion of Henry's was painting. He enjoyed working with watercolors and acrylics and was a founding member of the Red Hills Art Association in Louisville. Nothing brought him more joy than painting and discussing art with friends.
An avid animal lover, Henry had many dogs and cats throughout his life and wrote poems and short stories about them. His beloved dog of fifteen years, Rex, was the subject of a book that Henry wrote and self-published.
Henry enjoyed spending time in nature—whether running on the beach, camping in the mountains, walking in the woods, fishing with a cane pole by a stream, or working in the yard. He also loved to travel, particularly to New Orleans, where he often visited for its food, music, and fun.
He adored his wife of seventy years, JoAnn, and their daughter, Melanie. His grandsons, Clark and his namesake, Brandt, brought him immense joy. He was extremely proud of their accomplishments and cherished the opportunity to watch them grow into men. Henry also had a deep love for his grandsons' wives, Nancy and Mary Ellen, and was blessed with two great-grandchildren, William (age 2) and Annie (4 months).
For the past five years, Henry was a resident of the Beehive Assisted Living Home in Louisville, where he enjoyed interacting with the staff and making new friends in the community.
He is survived by his wife, JoAnn Jobe Brandt; his daughter, Melanie Brandt O'Kelley (William Clark O'Kelley Jr., “Bo”); grandsons William "Clark" O'Kelley III (Nancy) and Henry Brandt O'Kelley (Mary Ellen); and great-grandchildren, William "Clark" O'Kelley IV and Anne Collier "Annie" O'Kelley. He is also survived by his sister, Eva Mae Distler of Jefferson City, Missouri, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, three brothers (Jim, Paul, Gerald), and one sister (Linda).
