Max Brandt

LIMINGTON — Max Hans Brandt, 80, died peacefully on May 10th, 2022 surrounded by family.

Born on June 16, 1941, in Biddeford, Maine, Max grew up on the Portland Road in Saco with his four younger sisters. His parents were Karl and Elsie Brandt. Max shaped his life around four major interests: love for family and friends; world music to barbershop quartet singing; love of nature and the outdoors; and living a life filled with adventures and world traveling.

Max graduated from Thornton Academy in 1959, and graduated from Gorham State Teachers College in 1963 with a B.S. degree in Music Education. During his high school and college years, you would probably see Max working at Bill’s Pizza in OOB, driving around in his 1931 Model A Ford, and loving time with family and friends. Max was a Peace Corp Volunteer from 1963-1965 in Nigeria. He graduated from UCLA with an M.A. degree in Ethnomusicology, and completed his Ph.D at Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland.

While living with his family in Venezuela, and working for the Institute of Ethnomusicology and Folklore, Max became connected with a well-known shipboard study abroad program. Max, Maria, and their two daughters Elsa and Ana, boarded the S.S. Universe in Venezuela on July 1, 1979. When the University of Pittsburgh became the academic base for the Institute of Shipboard Education in 1980, Max and family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Max had nearly 30 years of employment as the chief academic officer for Semester at Sea. Max served on various around-the-world voyages as executive dean, and also spent much of his spare time teaching Latin American Music for the University of Pittsburgh Music Department.

In 2007, upon Max’s retirement, Max and Maria took up residence in the town of Limington, Maine. Many of Max’s hobbies included spending time with his family and friends, barbershop quartet singing, teaching and lecturing world music, co-writing a book about the folklore and history of Pequawket Lake in Limington, learning more about the Abeneki, and creating and maintaining hiking trails in the Maine woods.

Max is survived by: his wife, Maria of 53 years; his four younger sisters, Margaret Herbert, Christina Buckley, Molly Ouellete and brother-in-law Ray Ouellete, and Barbie Brandt Lariviere; his daughter, Elsa Brandt Rocafort, son-in-law Gary Rocafort, grandchildren Mariana and Nikolas; and daughter, Ana Abbott, son-in-law Cory Abbott, grandchildren Emma and Brandt; and many wonderful nieces and nephews, as well as longtime friends in many different places around the world.

There will be a celebration of life for family and friends of Max Brandt on what would have been his 81st birthday, June 16. Please join us at Duffy’s Restaurant from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Max’s family ask that a contribution be made to Saco Bay trails for their help in maintaining Middle Goosefare Trail or to Hospice in memory of Max Brandt.

Dennett, Craig and Pate Funeral Home, 365 Main St., Saco are handling his arrangements.