Brentlinger, William Brock

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: BREN.W001
• _FGRAVE: 34029855
• Military Service: World War II, Radioman Third Class, United States Navy

Notes:

Upon graduation from Flora High School in 1944, Brock entered the United States Navy. After his discharge from the Navy he married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Jean Weir, on December 29, 1946. The young couple moved to Greenville, Illinois, where he entered Greenville College.

In May of 1950 Brock graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech. He went on from there to earn a Master's degree from Indiana State University and his doctorate in speech and rhetoric from the University of Illinois. For eighteen years he was employed at Greenville College as a professor of speech and later as Dean of Academic Affairs.

Besides his work at the college he was a member of the Greenville City Council and also held leadership positions in his church where he taught an adult Sunday School class, was a member of the deacon board and sang in the adult choir. In 1969 he accepted a position as the Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Lamar University and the family made the move from Illinois to Beaumont, Texas.

The family joined Calder Baptist Church where he served on the deacon board, taught an adult Sunday School class, was a member of the adult choir as well as a number of committees. Besides these local responsibilities he also was appointed to the Texas Baptist Christian Education Coordinating Board. Among his many community service activities, he served as chairman of the Beaumont Library Commission and as president of the Southeast Texas Arts Council.

He had served on the board of directors of the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society, Young Audiences of Beaumont, Texas Library Association Bicentennial Committee, Beaumont Habitat for Humanity, Beaumont Sister City Commission and was president of the Rotary Club of Beaumont. At Lamar University he was instrumental in securing approval for a Lamar radio station, KVLU, and helped raise funds for the College of Fine Arts through the establishment of the Friends of the Arts. In March of 1992 he was named the interim President of Lamar University and then continued on as an assistant to the president until his retirement in 2005. Brock was the winner of the Julie and Ben Rogers Community Service Award and the Public Citizen of the Year in 1982.

Brock and Barbara were married sixty-two years and raised six children, all of whom attended Lamar University. A son, Geoffrey Brentlinger, preceded him in death in 1989.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara; three sons and two daughters; Gregory and Dorothy Brentlinger, Gary and Dee Alice Brentlinger, Rick and Rebecca Brentlinger Ray, Garth and Terri Brentlinger, Bobbie Brentlinger and ten grandchildren.

Military Service:
Entered active service on 27 July 1944. Completed boot camp at Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Illinois; Naval Training School Signals, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana and Naval Training School; Advanced Communications, Noroton Heights, Connecticut. Assigned to Naval Amphibious Force Personnel Depot and later served at Radio Station, Wahiawa, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. Received The American Campaign Medal, The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and The WWII Victory Medal. Honorably Discharged as a Radioman 3rd Class on 10 August 1946 at The Separation Center, Great Lakes, Illinois.

(This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission.)

Source: https://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2000110

Family/Spouse: Weir, Barbara Jean. Barbara was born on 12 Apr 1925 in Carrier Mills, Saline County, Illinois; died on 4 Feb 2011; was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]