KRISTOPHER BRANNON’S OBITUARY
Kristopher William Brannon, also known as “Sonics Guy”, passed away February 11, 2021 in Tacoma, WA. Kristopher was born on December 24, 1973 in Lakewood, WA to Jill Skea and William T. Brannon.
Kristopher graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and Evergreen State College with an emphasis in film studies and political science. Throughout his life he was heavily involved in his passions which included comedy, politics, and of course the Seattle SuperSonics. He served as an usher for the team during the 1994-1995 season, which was the year they played at the Tacoma Dome.
Kristopher was a lifelong Democrat and even served on the Executive Board of the Young Democrats of Washington in the 1990’s. In 1996 he was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Kristopher always had a way of getting noticed wherever he went, and at the convention he was known as the guy who dressed up as Dennis Rodman. He was interviewed by MTV and even made the front page of USA Today. While he never held public office, he has always used his ability to get noticed in fervently supporting candidates and political issues that he believed in.
Kristopher always had a way of being the center of attention in any room and part of that was due to his comedic abilities. That’s why in the late 1990’s, he started pursuing a stand-up comedy career. As part of his endeavor to make others laugh, he joined a few comedy groups, including Fool’s Play Improv and The Humor Group. Starting in the mid 2000’s, he managed the Tacoma Comedy Underground for almost a decade.
Due to a congenital heart condition, he wasn’t allowed to play sports in school. Despite this, he still had a love for hiking and orienteering. He avidly followed all the local sports teams, including the Seattle SuperSonics. He was also known for setting up recreational games of various sports against rival movie theaters during his time as a theater usher.
When the Seattle SuperSonics left Seattle in 2008, Kristopher’s heart broke; he had found another cause that he felt compelled to vigorously pursue. He picked up a sign and suited up in Sonics attire. His mission was to bring back the Seattle SuperSonics. He made sure everyone in the Northwest didn’t forget the beloved basketball team by attending over 1500 events in the area. With his overwhelming ability to be seen and his friendly, welcoming nature he became a beloved local celebrity known as the “Sonics Guy”. There was even a short film documentary called “Superfan” that was made about him. He was a writer for Sonics Rising as well as the Hilltop Action Journal. He was a frequent sight at sporting events and one friend even likened it to a kid’s excitement meeting Santa Claus. He was so admired that he won Best Local Celebrity multiple years in a row in South Sound Magazine, including one posthumously. After his death, the community that loved him so much created two murals in his honor. One in his beloved 6th Ave. District of Tacoma and one on 1st Ave. in Seattle. He is gone now, but the Seattle/Tacoma area will never forget him.
Kristopher is preceded in death by father William T. Brannon, stepmother Renate Brannon, and grandparents George Skea and Jane Skea. He is survived by mother Jill Skea, sister Zaraya Skea, brother-in-law Jeffrey Weickum, and nephew George Weickum.
Kristopher’s memorial service will be held on July 17th at 11am at OURChurch. 5000 67th Ave. W., University Place, WA 98467. Attire: Sonics, green, gold. Please bring Sonics signs to the service if you have them.

Watch services here:

https://www.facebook.com/OurChurch253/videos/2866615103577950/