James Edward Brandis

James Edward “Jim” Brandis, 73, of 18 Mayfair Drive, Asheville, Woodside Hills, Asheville, died Saturday, September 21, 2002, at the Hospice Solace Center. Mr. Brandis was born in Troy, AL, and was a son of the late Edward A. and Lunette McCullagh Brandis. He served in the US Air Force from 1948 to 1950 before returning to the University of Alabama where he played on the golf team and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1952. He also attended Law School at the University of Alabama. He was the organizer and operator of Brandis Management Company in Asheville and had earned recognition for providing management services for hotels, country clubs, golf courses and restaurants throughout the United States and territories. He constructed and managed the Holiday Inn West in Asheville and in the 1970’s was twice named “Innkeeper of the Year” by the Holiday Inn system in competition with 1, 700 Innkeepers. He also constructed and managed hotel properties in Puerto Rico, Daytona Beach, FL, Tampa, FL, Rapid City, SD, and Stillwater, OK. He returned to Asheville in 1983 to develop and build the Ramada Inn West, which was honored as “Inn of the Year” in 1985. Under his and his wife Ann’s management it was designated as a “Gold Key” hotel, indicating it’s strict quality standards. In 1984 he built and opened the first Super 8 Motel in North Carolina and operated it until 1995. Mr. Brandis was instrumental in the drafting, passage, and implementation of the Buncombe County hotel occupancy tax, used for the creation of the Tourism Development Authority and the advertising and promotion of Asheville as a tourist destination. He was an avid golfer and Atlanta Braves fan and was a member of the Country Club of Asheville and the Southern Conference Committee. His passion for serving families in the hospitality industry has been passed on to his own family who survive him: his wife Ann Greene Brandis who manages the Ramada Plaza Hotel and their daughter Lisa Annette Brandis who owns and operates two Super 8 Motels in Asheville. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Oberlean Hill, Geneva Grisham, Bobby Greene, Peggy Slate, Jessie Greene, Faye Bowers, Earl Greene and Jerry Greene and two cousins, Dr. Mike McCullagh of Santa Barbara, CA and Dr. Henry McCullagh of Jacksonville, FL. There will be a celebration of his life at 11:00 am Monday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Rev. Timothy W. Meredith officiating, and Mr. John Winkenwerder presenting the eulogy. Military honors will be provided by the Asheville High School Marine Corps JROTC Unit at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. His family will receive friends from 7 - 8:30 pm Sunday at the funeral home. Family and friends are also invited to the Ramada Plaza Hotel for fellowship on Monday following the services.