Lawrence I. Brant's Obituary
BRANT, LAWRENCE I. DDS, a true renaissance man who enjoyed sculpting and classical music, built a successful dental practice in North Miami Beach, Florida, passed away Tuesday, March 1, 2016 after a lengthy illness. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 9, 1931 to Benjamin and Eva Sauer Brant, Larry came to Miami at the age of 16 and graduated from Miami High School. He won a Miami Herald scholarship to the University of Miami and received his DDS degree from the University of Maryland. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a captain-dentist.
Predeceased by his parents, Eva and Benjamin Brant, brothers and sisters, Harvey Brant (Anne Brant), Frances Grumet (Henry), Beverly Brant and Betty Sauer Parnes Warshaw and former wife Shirley Brooks Brant.
“He was loved by all. A determined intellectual soul, with a passion for helping others” said his wife of 28 years, Diane Alpert Brant.
Proud of his Jewish heritage and traditional values, he participated in a hunger strike in support of Soviet refugees in 1975. He also built his dental practice in North Miami Beach, Brant, Brooks, Agron, Meiselman, Levinson, Grumet and Zionst (the Southeast Florida Dental Group) into one of the largest dental practices in South Florida. He supported several charities, including St. Jude Hospital, the Jewish Federation, and NACEOJ. He and Diane lived happily for the past 16 years in their equestrian home in Delray Beach where he enjoyed gardening and his favorite pet, Josie. He revelled at the challenges of home restorations, and his hands-on work in restoration won a historic recognition for his Coral Gables home.
Larry was a devoted family man, proudest of his four children and their families. Larry was a romantic who wrote many love letters and captured Diane's heart with a bouquet of roses from his garden, wrapped in aluminum foil. Generous and compassionate, he always put family and taking care of one another first. His dental practice and laboratory was his “other family,” and his first partner, George Brooks, frequently referred to Larry as his other wife. Larry's hobbies included sailing, gardening, sculpturing and Monday-morning quarterbacking for the Miami Dolphins.
He is survived by Diane and his four children from previous marriage- Benjamin Brant (Robin Karel), Dr. Steven Brant (Jan Mortiz), Dana Tunick (Arnold) and Robert Brant (Wendy Bibace). Dr. Brant adored his 11 grandchildren: Lewis, Aaron, Ariella, Shelby, Brian, Asher, Sara Eliza, Hershel, Sabrina, Jordan and Cameron; great-granddaughter Lilac; nephews Barry (Jacqueline) Brant, Dr. Jeffrey (Nancy) Brant, Dr. Robert Grumet and Mark Grumet; David (Patricia) Knobel and Mark (Raquel) Knobel. Sister-in-law Paula Alpert Freedman (Dr. Allan Freedman), Atlanta Georgia and niece Sarah Melinda Freedman, NYC.
Services: Thursday, March 3, 2016 at Levitt-Weinstein Memorial Chapel, 18840 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach, FL 33180 (305) 932-2700. Internment at Mt. Sinai cemetery 1125 NW 137 Street, Miami, FL 33168. The family will be sitting shiva at the home of Benjamin and Robin Brant 3840 North 38th Avenue Hollywood, Florida 33021 Thursday immediately following internment until 9:00 p.m. with mincha service at 6:30 p.m; Friday 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.
Memorial donations be made to the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry, attention Karen Gens 255 West 36th St. Suite 701 New York, NY 10018
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