Colonel Paul Brandenburg, USAF (Ret.)

Colonel Paul Brandenburg, USAF (Ret.)

1947 – 2026

Colonel Paul Brandenburg, age 79, passed away peacefully on June 29, 2026. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he made his home in North Carolina for the past 18 years.

Paul dedicated 30 years of distinguished service to the United States Air Force, retiring with the rank of Colonel. Over the course of his career, he served in a wide range of leadership roles, including Acquisition Manager, Munitions Officer, Personnel Director, and Staff Development Engineer. He was the lead developer and designer of the US Air Force’s Strategic Air Command Digital Information Network “SAC-DIN”. A critical communications system that is still in use today. He was a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and Squadron Officer School. His decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, and the Defense Superior Service Medal, among numerous other honors earned over a career marked by dedication and excellence.

Paul’s commitment to service did not end with his military career. For more than ten years, he was an active and devoted member of the Lenoir, North Carolina community, serving as President of the Lenoir Rotary Club — an organization whose motto, “Service above Self,” he embodied throughout his life. He also served as a board member for Habitat for Humanity and gave generously of his time and talents to Caldwell County.

Paul approached life with the same passion and discipline that defined his military career. A lifelong enthusiast of munitions and shooting sports, he found joy in shooting and the craft and precision the hobby demanded — a fitting passion for a man who had once served as a Munitions Officer. In the kitchen, Paul was in his element, cooking up meals for the people he loved and playing the consummate host at gatherings, always eager to bring people together around good food and good company. Paul brought a pinch of chemistry to everything he made in the kitchen – precise, methodical, and always ready to run the numbers again if a recipe didn’t turn out right. His homebrewed beer, in particular, saw more than a few rounds of careful “recalibration.” He was known for his quick wit and wonderful sense of humor, which could light up a room, as well as his kindness and compassion toward everyone he met. Above all, Paul adored his family, and his love for them was the foundation of everything he did.

Paul is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Patricia Brandenburg, and his three daughters: Amalie Brandenburg and her four children, Paul, Berit, Bodie, and Tait; Susan Sigmon (husband Brennan Sigmon) and their four children, Kavan, Madeline, Max, and Jake; and Karen Brognard and her two sons, Liam and Finn.

Paul will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a man who lived his life in service — to his country, his community, and his family.

A Celebration of Life will be held at First United Methodist Church of Lenoir, Saturday August 1st, 2026 at 11:00 am. Reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Paul’s honor to:

Lenoir Rotary Club

PO Box 1834

Lenoir, North Carolina 28645

Evans Funeral Service is honored to serve the family of Colonel Paul Brandenburg, USAF (Ret.).