Kennewick mayor’s son, described as a quiet community contributor, dies

Brandt Young, the 44-year-old son of Kennewick’s mayor, died Wednesday after complications from cancer treatments.

Steve Young said his son did a lot for the community but never bragged about it.

“He had a smile when he walked into the room,” he said. “He had a great compassion for people.”

The middle of three children, Brandt was born into a family of University of Oklahoma Sooners fan. He passionately followed the team throughout his life.

Brandt moved to Kennewick with his parents and graduated from Kennewick High School, where he played soccer and football. He also participated in triathlons.

He later graduated from Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities.

He spent most of his career working on software, first for Kadlec Regional Medical Center, then for the firm that produced software for the Richland hospital, Wisconsin-based API Healthcare.

He and his wife, Christine, have three sons, Carson, Casey and Cameron — all named after University of Oklahoma football players.

Doctors diagnosed Brandt with Hodgkin Lymphoma about a year ago, and while the treatments beat back the disease, one of the chemotherapy drugs damaged his lungs, Young said.

While doctors tried to treat it, the condition claimed his life.

Brandt Young was surrounded by friends and family when he died, said his father. Along with being an active member of his church, he coached hockey for the Tri-City Amateur Hockey Association and baseball for a Richland team.

“He was one of these guys who had a way with children. ... He was like a kid with other kids,” Steve Young said. “He was just a great man.”

Mueller’s Tri-Cities Funeral Home in Kennewick is in charge of his arrangements.

This story was originally published April 20, 2017 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Kennewick mayor’s son, described as a quiet community contributor, dies."