Linda “Lou” (Larson) Brandt, 75, who passed away on Oct. 29, 2026, believed life can be as fun as you want it to be. The way she made her life fun was simple: She spent as much time as she possibly could with the people she loved.

She didn’t really have a choice when she was younger – she was one of nine siblings (Gary, Larry, Terry, Denny, Pat, Kris, Laurie, and Kathi). Born Nov. 24, 1950, in Shullsburg, WI, Lou was raised by her mother Glenda (Mullen) Young and stepfather Henry Young. She never missed a single day of school in Hanover or Stockton, not because she loved classes; she loved being around people.

That might explain her love for team sports, too. Women’s teams weren’t around when she was growing up, but she was a member of the Girls Athletic Association and played shortstop as a lefty. (Typically, you put your best infielder at shortstop, and it’s a position best played by a right-handed person.) She’d tell you she was a pretty good athlete with a wink.

She was an even better sports organizer and coach. Lou cofounded and ran Stockton Youth Sports, and she led Stockton’s athletic booster club for 25+ years. It was in these roles that Lou made an impact on so many and became a beloved community member in Stockton. She was always ready to help lead a fundraiser, take tickets at the door, or work concessions. As a softball and basketball coach, she only harped on players – like her niece, Tracy – because she believed in you.

It was through another sport she came to love, golf, that she met the late Rodney Brandt. She got to know the “handsome man with curly hair,” out on the course, and he became her husband of 48 years. They blended their families — which included Rod’s kids Becky, Barry, and Brian, and Lou’s son Kirk — and welcomed Jesse in 1977. Together, Rod and Lou were the pair you wanted to cheer next to on the bleachers, have a beer with on the porch, sit beside at church, share a bowling lane, and take a drive with. They loved trips to Florida, Colorado, Lake Wisconsin, Princeton, and anywhere else where their people were. The pair saw eye to eye on so many things, but not when it came to football. She was a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, while he cheered on the Chicago Bears. They were a playful house divided on West Benton Avenue, reuniting to cheer on the Illini and Chicago Cubs together. And if they were watching the Cubs at Wrigley, you could count on Lou to start the quarter game in the bleachers.

Rod and Lou attended over 30 state basketball tournaments, which led to numerous Final Four trips (both men’s and women’s) with family members. Lou’s wardrobe was a Nike- and Under Armour-filled love letter to athletics at large. But no sports teams ever topped her favorite teams of all: Any of the ones that had anything to do with her grandchildren.

Having grandchildren and great-grandchildren was one of Lou’s greatest joys. She showed up to as many games, performances, first days of school, and birthday parties as she could, often with an ice cream bucket of her famous party mix in hand.

Lou loved her friends like family, too. You knew it in the way she talked to you and the way she showed up for you. She might have been small in stature, but her laugh and her warmth could fill a room. If you were someone she loved, you were part of her team.

In many ways, Lou’s life was a lot like the sports she loved. She had both wins and losses, but experienced the ultimate win of finding her people to have fun with along the way. As a mother, stepmother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, friend, and coach, Lou is still cheering on her people from above — she’s just sitting a little higher in the stands.

Lou is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Larry; her sister, Pat; her husband, Rodney; and her granddaughter, Taylor Brandt. She is survived by her children and stepchildren, Becky (Dave) Behling, Barry (Marci) Brandt, Brian (Brenda) Brandt, Kirk (Amy) Haring and Jesse (Kellie) Brandt; her grandchildren, Alex (Natalie), Andie, Jonah, Grant, Casey, Connor, Anna, Branden, Caleb, Payton, and Bryce; and her great-grandchildren, Louisa and Sylvie.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 223 E. Front Ave. in Stockton, with funeral and burial to follow. Interment will take place at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Stockton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Lou's name can be made to Holy Cross Catholic Church or the Stockton Athletic Boosters. Lou had become a member of the Catholic Church in the last five or six years of her life. Her faith and the community that came along with it were very important to her. She greatly valued her relationship and friendship with Father Mike.