Mrs. Sandra Alaine Brannon, MA
Sunrise 1/11/1948 - Sunset 4/10/2024
Sandra Alaine Brannon was an artist, educator, designer, and world traveler with a kind heart and bright smile that could light up a room. She is a native of Washington DC and a lifelong New Yorker, residing in Brooklyn Heights for most of her life. She was a dedicated servant of Christ, daughter, sister, mother, and friend. Her passions included bike riding, traveling, cooking, reading the bible, and spending time with family and friends.
Sandra loved the arts, as a professional and a patron, and dedicated her life to it. She was a skilled, photographer, painter, graphic designer, and model, who illustrated textbooks and created vibrant collages. She was a working artist and showed her artwork in the Pratt Institute Alumni show and exhibits throughout New York, DC, and the mid-Atlantic. She supported and inspired her daughter in her museum career and curatorial practice.
For her undergraduate years, she attended Howard University, Washington DC in 1965. She later transferred to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn New York, earning a BFA in Communication Design, in 1969. She holds 2 graduate degrees, from Pratt Institute, M.S. Communication Design 1984 and Bernard Baruch College, M.S. Educational Administration and Supervision 2003.
In her early career, she worked as an art director and creative director at some of the top media and print publications in the country including the New York Times, CBS News, Women's Day, Scholastic Publishing, and other esteemed outlets.
She and her husband (the late Dr. Elvin Montgomery Jr.) started their family in 1981, and she became a homemaker and left the workforce to raise her child full-time for the first 5 years of her daughter's life. Returning to work she transitioned to the world of arts education, as a substitute teacher and later an art teacher to merge her passion for youth, learning, and arts. She taught Art & Photography at several High Schools in the region including NYC High School of Art & Design and George W Hewlett High School from 1989 - 2003. She was later promoted to Assistant Principal at George W Hewlett High School 2004 - 2007. In her retirement era, she transitioned to working in Higher Education as a career readiness coach and instructor at Access for Women at NY City Technical College, from 2008 - 2012. In these roles, she worked to support the academic and career goals of women in nontraditional technical majors and taught college readiness to secondary students. Throughout her career experiences in the art world, publishing, and educational sector her focus remained on making an impact in the lives of students and offering a positive contribution to the betterment of individuals across a variety of beliefs, and backgrounds.
Giving back to her community was very important to Sandra. Throughout her tenure as a member and servant leader for 30+ years at Emmanuel Baptist Church she served as a: Lay leader of the women's Ministry, Sunday School Teacher, Workshop Instructor, Intercessory Prayer Warrior, Publisher of the Church Newsletter, Deacon and Girl Scout Troop leaders among other duties.
Additionally, she held professional memberships in: the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the American Association of Univesity Women, the National Association of Female Executives, and the Black Alumni of Pratt Institute. She was awarded 1996 the Norbert David Serota Fellowship for Long Island Educators which granted her a trip to visit the Holy Land and Vancouver Canada. She was an esteemed member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated, Alpha Phi Chapter of Howard University.
She leaves behind a dutiful daughter Monica Octavia Montgomery and son-in-law Mthokozisi Nyathi. A brother Pastor Keith Samuel Brannon. Cousins Lyvon Covington, Nicole S Johnson, Pamela Covington Reynolds, Jada Reynolds, Kala Reynolds, and many dear friends, church members, mentees, and colleagues. Her favorite scripture was Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me".