Brenda
Johnston Naatz Bandy passed gracefully on Wednesday, June 25, 2025,
surrounded by love, laughter and music. Born on November 4, 1939, in
St. Johnsbury, Vt., to Doris and Charles Naatz, she was an excellent
daughter, sister and occasional farmhand on their family dairy farm.
Among
Brenda’s many gifts was the ability to make life feel
simultaneously sacred and as amusing as a Carol Burnett skit. Her
beauty was only rivaled by her talent, humor and boundless care for
others. As Miss Vermont, she performed a side-splitting Victor Borge
comedy routine on the piano at the 1960 Miss America Pageant, winning
the talent portion of the competition. She earned scholarships for
her creative skills and attended Rochester Institute of Technology to
study interior design before returning to Vermont to care for her
mother in her final years. While Miss Vermont, she also won the
attention of her assigned cadet escort, Bill Currier, with whom she
quickly fell in love. They married and traveled the world while
raising three rambunctious children before settling in upstate New
York. There, she was a church organist, a choir director, a full-time
mother, and the one-woman powerhouse of an 11-acre horse farm, where
she boarded more than a dozen horses and taught riding — all while
keeping her sense of humor (and most of her sanity).
She
played every instrument she encountered with otherworldly skill,
though her favorites include the pipe organ at the Peacham
Congregational Church, piano, bagpipes and the accordion. In addition
to her endless musical and performing talents, she was a gifted
craftsperson. She excelled at creating model horse-drawn carriages
and miniature dollhouses, along with all of the delicate painting,
sculpture and leatherwork that entailed.
A
lifelong equestrian, Brenda had a love for horses that easily
withstood a lifetime of shoveling manure. She won several accolades
and blue ribbons for her Morgan horses — including one New York
State Grand Champion Morgan mare, Vanderland Gabrielle “Gabby” —
and taught all of her children and grandchildren how to ride (and
clean the stalls). Her deep love for animals was unmatched; even the
most skittish stray cats grew to return her affections tenfold.
Brenda
was a skillful and beloved teacher and returned to school to earn her
music teaching degree in 1986 at the age of 47. She taught music to
all grades at Blue Mountain Union School, where she met her second
husband, Arnold Bandy, a social studies teacher and athletic
director. Together, they shared great pride in teaching and learning
with their students. With endless energy and enthusiasm, she led her
students to create elaborate, impressive musical productions. Her
pride in teaching was well earned, as she taught all those around her
how to make things that mattered — music, art, a home, a life —
by hand, by heart and with just the right amount of humor.
For
Brenda, the sun rose and set over the children in her life. She is
survived by her beloved children, Tonya Currier and husband Dan
Griggs, Miles Currier and wife Cheryl, Matthew Bandy and wife Anne,
and Auburn Watersong; niece, Jennifer Gilman, and her husband, Peter
Pelissier; adored grandchildren, Tia Hohman and husband Rusty, Gabe
Harter, Emma Harter, and Liam Currier; great-niece, Kelsey Gilman;
great-nephews, Teddy Gilman and Chad Larabee; and her dearest and
only great-grandchildren, Eden and Ezra Hohman. Brenda leaves behind
a sprawling chosen family of dear friends and creative kin who will
carry her memory forward with laughter, music and love.
In
her passing, Brenda joins her husband, Arnold Bandy; dear sisters,
Carolyn and Frannie; beloved nephew, Charlie “Thumper” Gilman;
and many close girlfriends, as well as dozens of spoiled horses,
ponies, cats, dogs and at least one goat waiting patiently for her to
return with treats.
A
celebration of Brenda’s life will be held on August 2, 2025, 11
a.m., at Peacham Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, adopt a
cat, laugh until your sides hurt, or make something beautiful with
your hands and your heart.
Donations
in Brenda’s honor can be made to Mayo Healthcare, 71 Richardson
St., Northfield, VT 05663, or to Kingdom Animal Shelter — Just for Cats, 1161 Portland St., St. Johnsbury, VT 05819.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2025.