Leonard Corwin Brant, 92

Leonard Corwin (Corky) Brant passed away May 16, 2022, firmly believing in the Bible verse John 3:16. He loved his family deeply and was equally loved by them. He was born Oct. 30, 1929, in Moravia, Idaho, the son of Leonard Harvey Brant and Caroline Robinson Brant.

Pine Grove Elementary School, Bonners Ferry High School and Amarillo College provided the base for his later success in aeronautical engineering. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1952 and was assigned to Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas. He graduated first in a class of 55 and was held there as an instructor of flight and navigation systems on the McDonnell F101 fighter-bomber. He spent six hours daily teaching morning classes and afternoons and evenings advancing his education in aerospace science, digital electronic theories, challenges of designing airframes, guidance, instrumentation and telemetry systems that operate in environments of minus 80 to plus 4,000 degrees, all offered by the Air Force Institute of Technology.

While at the airbase, he met his rose of Texas, Margie Alice Phillips, who became his wife and soulmate for more than 68 years. The success of their marriage can be attributed to deep love and togetherness. They worked together, explored together and drove more than two million miles viewing manmade wonders and wonders of God's nature in America.

Leonard was recruited by McDonnell Aircraft as a liaison engineer on their F4 Fighter production line and teacher of math and science at its St. Louis, Mo., facility. Within a year, he was transferred to their Space and Missile Division as a design and development engineer. McDonnell merged with Douglas Aircraft and formed McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company where Leonard served as senior electronics engineer for his remaining years with the company.

Leonard and Margie's son Clay was born in 1963 and, within months, was initiated into travel to and from Cape Canaveral, Fla., where Leonard was a member of several McDonnell Douglas missile and spacecraft launch teams. He received a letter of commendation from NASA for his service.

Leonard and Margie were members of the Missouri Archeological Association and their findings and studies resulted in the Langdon Mounds being placed on the National Register.

In 1973, the Brants moved to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and formed Brant Construction Company. Together, they purchased and remodeled the historic Casey Hotel and the Boardwalk Boutique. In 1985, they sold their companies and moved to Coeur d'Alene and Contractors Northwest, where Leonard remained until his retirement.

Leonard's later years were spent at their acreage in Rathdrum where he authored two books on western migration, one an in-depth history of the Kootenai Indians. In 2016, Leonard and Margie moved to a smaller home in Post Falls and Clay, his wife, Dyanna and their son, Travis and daughters Makayla and Makynna, moved to the Rathdrum farm.

Memorials can be gifted to the "Fry Foundation," a branch of Boundary Community Hospital where Leonard's mother worked for more than 20 years; son Clay supervised the addition of two wings to the hospital and Leonard served on the board of directors and chairman of the board for a combined total of four years. Address gifts to the Fry Foundation, 6640 Kaniksu St., Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.