Brent A. Braun, 82, passed away on July 16, 2020 in Newport News, Virginia.  He was born March 8, 1938 to Harold and Melva Braun in Kansas City, Missouri. Brent grew up in Piper, Kansas and attended school at Washington and Bonner Springs, graduating from Piper Rural High School in 1957.  He served for eight years in the Army National Guard in aircraft repair and maintenance, ending his service as a sergeant.

Brent began a long and successful career as a hotelier, beginning in 1956 as a doorman at the Town House Hotel in Kansas City, Kansas.  He worked his way up to general manager at the Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence, Kansas, a position he held at a number hotels across cities in the U.S. and its territories, including Memphis, Tennessee; Miami Beach, Miami Springs, and Orlando, Florida; Page, Arizona; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.  Brent was honored as a Top Ten Innkeeper for Holiday Inns worldwide in 1975.  He hosted a diverse range of celebrities at the properties he managed, from Richard Nixon to Mickey Mantle to the Bee Gees.

Active in the communities where he lived, Brent was a member of Rotary Club and Knights of Columbus.   He served as a host of the Jerry Lewis Telethon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was the vice chairman of the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau, President of the Hotel Association, and was active with public radio and television.  He created the Hospitality Olympics in Baton Rouge to raise funds for charities benefitting children.

A devoted son, Brent returned to Kansas to care for his aging mother.  While in Kansas City, he was active in Good Shepherd Catholic Church and particularly enjoyed singing in the choir. Later in life, he brought that love of music to residents of the Hidenwood Retirement Community, leading Sunday music programs.

Brent was a proud father and grandfather.  He is survived by his son, Eric Braun of Alexandria, Virginia and his children, Nicholas and Olivia; his daughter and son-in-law, Beth and John Scott of Newport News, Virginia and their children, Sarah and Katherine; his brother Dr. Clait Braun and his family; his stepsister Valerie Edmonds; and his former wife and dear friend, Marcia Delich Braun.

Brent will be buried in Kansas City, Kansas.  There will be a private funeral Mass July 23^rd in Newport News.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s charity of your choice.

Cremation Society of Virginia-Newport News assisted the family with arrangements.