SPOKANE, Wash. — Family, friends and colleagues held a vigil Wednesday night for honoring the life of Doug Brant, the Providence home health caregiver who was murdered while visiting a patient's home.
"Doug could connect with any of his patients not only through music but his kind, fun-loving and compassionate personality," said David Keepnews, executive director of the Washington State Nurses Association.
People shared stories and a few laughs as they remembered the 56-year-old who spent nearly 20 years working for Providence, more recently as a home health caregiver.
Doug was never married and had no children. He loved his church, celebrations and frequent trips to Trader Joe's. His sister, Trudy Dant, said her brother wanted to be everyone's friend.
"I bet he would be a little embarrassed by this gathering because he just didn't feel that he was worthy," Dant said.
Doug was murdered Dec. 1 while checking up on a patient recovering from a recent stroke. Police say her grandson, Mitchell Chandler, pulled out a gun and shot Doug several times without warning.
"I know that his heart would ache so much for the grandparents of Mitchell who went through watching that happen, with their grandson in their house, and had to call 911 and had to tell and give pictures of their grandson," Dant said. "I can't imagine their heartache."
Chandler's grandparents told police he suffers from mental health issues. During a jailhouse interview with KREM 2, Chandler said he shot Doug because he believed he was responsible for 9/11.
"I know that Doug would forgive them, and he and I both talked many times, this is a system problem, we've got to do better with our mentally ill. Keeping them on the streets is not really productive," Dant said. "I really don't think a policy change would change what happened to Doug. I think this was so random, so out of the box."
Dant wants people to remember her brother for what he did in life, and not how his life ended.
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