Brant Stephen Light

Brant Stephen Light left his earthly life after an 11-year battle with lung cancer at the age of 69. Brant and his twin sister Beth were born to Bette and Walter Light in Norwalk, California. He was a standout student athlete and graduated from Loara High School. He went on to play football at a community college in Palm Springs, later transferring to play football at Eastern Washington. During these years, his oldest daughter, Jennifer Light was born. After college, Brant joined the Air Force and was stationed in Great Falls, where he met his lifelong companion and partner, Noella Wong. Brant and Noella married in 1976 and had a daughter and twin boys. Brant attended what was then the College of Great Falls, where he served as the Student Body President. Following his undergraduate degree, Brant and his daughter, Carly, moved to Missoula where he graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 1986. Noella continued her career in Great Falls with the boys while Brant finished his law degree. Brant began his career as a deputy county attorney in Cascade County. Four years later, he was appointed to a vacant Justice of the Peace position and then was elected to a four-year term in that office. During his time on the bench, Brant was known for his commitment to fairness and a willingness to view each person’s unique circumstances. He redefined the position of Justice of the Peace. In 1994, Brant ran for County Attorney and served for 14 years. He had a reputation of being hard-working, hard-nosed, prepared, and passionate about justice. He was widely known as a skilled trial attorney. After Brant’s tenure as County Attorney, he moved on to a position in Helena with the state of Montana Attorney General’s Office. As Assistant to the Attorney General for the State of Montana, he facilitated professional educational workshops for Montana prosecutors and assisted with many high-profile cases throughout the state. Throughout his career, Brant was known as a fierce advocate for justice for victims of violent crimes and their families. His biggest sense of professional pride and accomplishment was bringing closure and justice to victims’ families. He kept in personal contact with many victims’ families throughout his career. One victim’s sister sent him a letter of gratitude stating: “You are a good man Brant Light. Your efforts changed the ending of the story for us. My dad, brother and sister are eternally grateful for your tenacity and your resilience in prosecuting the accused person. It wasn’t easy, it took everything out of all of us. I don’t know the hours or the exact sacrifices you made to be able to get the guilty verdict but we want you to know that we saw what you did, we felt what you did and we rest our heads at night in peace because of your efforts.” Most autumn weekends, one could find Brant and Noella seated midfield at Washington-Grizzly stadium cheering for their beloved Griz football team. Brant enjoyed golfing and the occasional trip to Las Vegas, Washington, or California to see his family. When life slowed down later on, Brant enjoyed trying new recipes and was always bringing delicious treats to his kids’ families. Brant was exceptionally proud of his family and their individual accomplishments. He took to his role as a grandfather and enjoyed sharing all of their pictures and activities. Brant, a life-long non-smoker, was dealt a difficult hand when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009.Ever the fighter, Brant surpassed his cancer survival rate by many, many years. His positive outlook, amazing will to live, and commitment to fight his cancer was an inspiration. He participated in many clinical research trials, hoping to help himself and others. Brant is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Noella; mother Bette Popp of Escondido, CA; sisters, Beth Light (Alan Thompson) of Seattle, WA, and Glory Lane of Walnut Creek, CA; his children, Jennifer Light of Carlsbad, CA, Carly (Russ) Teter of Great Falls, Cory (Brittany) Light of Great Falls, and Casey Light of Las Vegas, NV; eight grandchildren, Jamison Light, Maddie Austin, Justin Teter, Lilliayn Light, Jillian Teter, Alicia Light, Elvis Light, and Piper Light; and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Walter Light; and sister, Janet Sisson. His family mourns the loss of their beloved husband, father, brother, and grandfather, but are comforted in knowing the great impact he left on our lives as well as our community and state. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.