Harry
Meacham Brants died
peacefully in the early morning hours of July 17, 2024 in Fort Worth,
TX. Harry was a lifelong resident of Fort Worth. He was
reserved and always a serious student. Harry graduated from
Yale University and the University of Texas Law School in Austin,
where he was Editor of the Law Review and a member of the Order of
the Coif. Harry started his legal career working with the Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals. He then moved back to Fort Worth and
was a partner in the firms of Hudson, Keltner, Smith and Cunningham
and McLean & Sanders. Harry was a member of the Brackett &
Ellis Law Firm for a number of years, and he officed with his sister,
Lucy Brants, for the last two years of his practice. Harry
practiced law for over 50 years. He was board-certified in
estate tax, and his practice focused primarily on estate planning,
wills and trusts, probate matters, and tax matters. Harry was a
highly respected member of the legal community in Fort Worth.
Harry was a lifelong hunter and fisherman. He loved the
outdoors, and he was an expert bow hunter and fisherman. Harry
loved to hunt in Wyoming and Alaska with his friends. He spent
many happy hours hunting and fishing on his family’s land at Eagle
Mountain Lake. Harry challenged himself by becoming a marathon
runner when he was in his 50’s, and ran the New York City Marathon
with his daughter Emily. Harry believed in Fort Worth and
served on various boards and belonged to many local organizations.
In 2013 Harry was honored by Historic Fort Worth’s Preservation Is
the Art of the City for his many contributions to the Fort Worth arts
community and his support of preservation efforts in Fort Worth.
Harry is survived by his children, Dr. Allan Brants, Emily Brants
Templin, and David Brants; his sister Lucy Brants; four
grandchildren; and five nieces and nephews.
Gerrit
Osborne recalls:
“During a visit to Fort Worth with Harry during our Sophomore Year
we were cruising in his Ford convertible out in the countryside, and
for some reason we had a shotgun with us. Spying vultures
circling what we assumed was a dead animal, we pulled off the road to
see what was going on. Approaching from opposite sides of the
vultures’ target, we came upon a dead something with a very
interested vulture about to feast on it. As we approached, the
vulture took a greater interest in Harry then he did in the carrion,
and Harry, protected by his 12 gauge, raised it and blew the vulture
out of sky. I was directly in his line of fire, and I’m sure
he missed me by more than it seemed at the time, but it makes a good
story.”
Elton
Hathaway Follett died
on July 24, 2024 at home in Ozona, FL. As a youth he was known
as Tony and attended Evanston Township High School in Evanston, IL,
where he became highly successful as a swimmer, setting numerous
state and national records. He continued his career at Yale
University, where he was captain of the Freshman team and a member of
the All-American team that swam in Japan and at the Pan-American
Games. Elton married Nancy Ennis during college and they moved
to California for a few years after graduation. They then moved
to England, where he started The Dolphin School, a Montessori-style
college preparatory institution. The Dolphin School is located
in Berkshire, England, where it remains a thriving day school.
After his divorce, Elton moved to nearby Reading, where he studied
both Cordon Bleu culinary arts and psychotherapy. He became
renowned both for his excellent dinners and for his mentoring to his
psychotherapy clients. Elton was always interested in sailing
and sailed across the Atlantic with two friends. He married
Dagmar Strasser in 2004. In 2014 they retired to Florida, where
Elton continued his love of the water by daily snorkeling and messing
around with small boats. Elton leaves his wife Dagmar; his
children Daena Lambert (deceased), Saul Hathaway, Morgane Tredway,
and Thea Maia; and five grandchildren.
Elton’s
widow Dagmar remembers: “In spite of his failing health, he
was determined to attend last year’s Reunion, which he did and
greatly enjoyed. He was so proud and grateful to have had the
opportunity to be a part of Yale.” Bob
Dickie recalls:
“Elton was fun to be around. He had a real presence and
curiosity. He was open-minded and a natural-born learner.
He came up with an original way to approach secondary education, and
to develop that further he founded and ran a school in
England.” Phil
Stevens writes:
“I am saddened by the news of Elton’s passing. Not only a
great swimmer, a great guy, self-effacing, with a ready smile and
sense of humor.”
Guy
Miller Struve,
Secretary
90
The Uplands
Berkeley,
CA 94705
E-Mail: guy.struve@davispolk.com
Class
Website: www.yale63.org