Donald Albert Brand

donald brand

December 3, 1945 ~ May 5, 2023

Born in: New Rochelle, NY
Resided in: New Haven, CT

Donald Albert Brand was born on December 3, 1945 in New Rochelle, New York to the late Norma Cohen and Charles Brand. The second-oldest of five children, he grew up in a loving and close-knit family with gentle, progressive and humanistic values. Children were encouraged to express themselves and seek self-actualization, while demonstrating kindness and compassion towards others. During his youth, Don’s family lived in Hilton, NY; Painesville, OH; and Rochester, NY.

As a teenager, Don was an accomplished equestrian who tamed and trained his first wild horse, PDQ. During high school, he received the Bausch and Lomb Science Award and academic recognition from Eastman Kodak Corporation.

During his time at Antioch College, Don held short-term internships at Bellevue Hospital, Clearwater Children’s Ranch, Winnetka Public Schools, and Walter Reed Army Hospital. He sang in Antioch’s select chorus, spent his junior year abroad in France and Switzerland, and was nominated for several honors, including a Woodrow Wilson fellowship. Don graduated with a BS in Physics from Antioch College in 1968, received his MA in History of Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1970, and completed his PhD in Decision Sciences from Yale University in 1976.

Don worked at Yale University for many years as Assistant Director and later Co-Director of the Trauma Program in the Department of Surgery and as Associate Director for Research at the Yale School of Management.  He served as Director of Primary Care Research at New York Medical College (1995-2007), was Scientific Advisor for the European Urban Health Indicators System (2011-2012), and retired as Director of Outcomes Research at NYU Langone, Long Island, in 2019.

Throughout his career, Don worked with clinicians to develop protocols to improve healthcare outcomes. He wrote grants and contributed scientific papers to JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Medical Decision Making in fields including emergency medicine, timing of organ transplantation, and infant health. Universally respected for his intellect and his kind, gentle demeanor, Don was a humble and effective leader and an esteemed mentor and teacher.  He consistently brought out the best in his coworkers, collaborators, and students.

A staunch pacifist and lifelong atheist, Don was strongly opposed to all forms of violence and believed in science and reason as essential tools for understanding the universe and humanity. During the Viet Nam war, Don objected to participating in anything related to violence and applied to be a Conscientious Objector. His request was granted despite his not believing in a Supreme Being, which until 1965 had been a requirement for CO status. Had his application been rejected, he was prepared to go to jail or move to Sweden.

Don was married to Gabriella, the mother of his two sons, from 1963-1986. As co-parents, Don and Gabriella developed a strong set of parenting values and ideals, incorporating many elements of the progressive philosophy that Don’s parents had embodied. After the marriage ended, Don and Gabriella remained amicable and continued to share profound pride and joy in their mutual children and, eventually, grandchildren.

Don was married to Catherine from 1993 until his death in 2023. The couple resided at various times in New Haven, CT; Minneapolis, MN; White Plains, NY; and Sarasota, FL. Don and Catherine enjoyed many activities together, including traveling, dining out, bicycling, playing cards, watching films, attending concerts, and visiting art galleries. They delighted in the close bonds of love and connection that formed across multiple generations of their interwoven extended family, and they particularly cherished the longstanding tradition of bringing their children and grandchildren together for annual family reunions at Hemlock Hall in Blue Mountain Lake, New York.

After experiencing kidney failure due to polycystic kidney disease, Don received a living-donor kidney transplant from Catherine, a priceless gift for which he remained infinitely grateful for the rest of his life.

Don had many talents, including baking world-class fruit pies, designing all manner of ingenious contraptions to improve household efficiency, and doing remarkably accurate Donald Duck impressions. He was athletic, musical, handy with tools, and an excellent listener and confidant. Don played piano for pleasure and was especially fond of the preludes and études of Frédéric Chopin. He enjoyed hiking, swimming, and other outdoor activities.  He had a particular affinity for the Adirondack Mountains, a love he inherited from his parents and previous generations and passed on to his children and grandchildren. He also derived great satisfaction from applying his skills as a decision scientist to help others solve complex problems in a logical and systematic way.

Don was a loving husband, committed father, fun and engaging grandfather and uncle, continual learner, and cherished friend who was loved and admired by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Catherine Brand; his sons, Jeffrey Brand (Kelly Chmielewski), of Alexandria, VA, and Thomas Brand (Rebecca Rosenbaum), of Bethany, CT, and their mother, Gabriella Brand (Douglas Peary), of North Haven, CT; his step-son, Gregg Peter Farah (Janine), of Kent, WA; his brother, Bill Brand (Katy Martin), of New York, NY; his sister-in-law, Lisa Brand (Eric Tucker), of Cleveland Heights, OH; his brother-in-law, David Dodson (Mary Kate Small), of Camden, ME; the mother of two of his grandchildren, Laura Ballard, of Annandale, VA; six nieces and nephews: Derek, Nathaniel, Michael, Laurie, Jo, and Lucy; ten grandchildren: Maresca, Morgana, Felix, Charles, Jackson, Cecilia, Elaine, Rachael, Kaitlyn, and Laura; and many other family members and friends. He was predeceased by three of his siblings: Susan Moody, of Rochester, NY and her husband of many years, James Moody; James Brand, of Cleveland Heights, OH; and Katherine Brand, of Camden, ME.

On behalf of Don, his family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to the many medical professionals who cared for him during his illnesses, especially Dr. Jenifer Kramer, Dr. Ricky Madhok, and the teams at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Connecticut Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Connecticut Hospice in Branford, CT at https://www.hospice.com/

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  1. Wishing you all strength and comfort during this difficult time.
    My sincere condolences for your loss.


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