Allen Brillhart

Colonel Allen Thompson Brillhart, Jr., of Little Rock, passed away Friday, January 2, 2009. He was born March 8, 1926 to Allen T. Brillhart, Sr. and Annie Ethel Morrison in Little Rock, Arkansas. Allen attended Little Rock Public Schools and graduated from Central High in 1943. He attended Little Rock Junior College, earned a B.S. degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and an MBA from UALR.
Colonel Brillhart was a U.S. Army officer whose career spanned 33 years and was a Veteran of three wars. He entered the Combat Infantry as a private in 1943 and fought in France and Germany. He attended Officers Candidate School in 1952 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. In the Korean War, he was a forward observer and a battery commander. In 1959, he was promoted to Captain and commanded a Field Artillery Battery in Germany. After completing Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth in 1964, he was promoted to Major. During the Vietnam War, he represented the U.S. Embassy as a public relations liaison in the southwestern provinces. Allen became Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Field Artillery, Ansbach, Germany in 1968. As a Lt. Colonel, he assumed command of the 10th Field Artillery Group in Ansbach. In 1969, he was reassigned to Headquarters, U.S. Army, Europe as Nuclear Weapons Employment Officer in Heidelberg. He co-chaired a study on Nuclear Defense of Central Europe which later became the Nuclear Defense Plan of Central Europe. After promotion to Colonel Regular Army in 1972, he was assigned as Tactical Operation Chief, 8th U.S. Army, Seoul, Korea. His last military assignment was to the Arkansas National Guard at Camp Robinson as Senior Advisor in 1974. He retired from active duty in August, 1978.
Colonel Brillhart's military decorations were many, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star for Meritorious Service, Meritorious Service Medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Staff Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, eight Campaign Stars, the Arkansas Distinguished Service Medal, and the Arkansas Commendation Medal. He is remembered in the Artillery OCS Hall of Fame at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and is a charter member of the National WWII Museum.
Allen's second career was that of founder, investment advisor and broker at Personalized Financial Planning, Inc. and Personalized Investments, Inc., in Little Rock. He established the business in 1984 which he directed until 2006.
He has been an active member of St. James United Methodist Church, a member and teacher in the Agape Sunday School Class. He served on the Financial Board of Children's Hospital, the board of the Florence Crittenton Home and the Clara Mary Schaefer Foundation. He was a member of the Sigma Chi and PIE fraternities and the Little Rock Kiwanis Club. Al enjoyed fishing, hunting, jogging, reading and people. He would talk spontaneously to anyone.
Allen T. Brillhart, Jr. was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters, Lois E. Keith and Melba R. Doggett and his son, Donald A. Brillhart.
He is the father of a large extended family, all of whom know the Lord, Jesus Christ. He and his wife of 60 years, Lucy Searcy Brillhart, had five children, fifteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife; his sister, Dorothy B. Kerksieck of Stuttgart; sister-in-law, Dr. Dola Pauly and her husband, Dr. John Pauly of Little Rock; brother-in-law, Paul Searcy and his wife, Flora of Leesville, Florida; daughter, Susan Taeger and her husband, Dr. Ernst Taeger of St. Louis, Missouri; son, Dr. Allen T. Brillhart III and his wife, Victoria of St. Louis; son, Dr. James Brillhart and his wife, Louise Bowen Brillhart of Columbia, Missouri; daughter, Sherry Joslin and her husband, Brian of Houston, Texas; and special daughter, Phyllis Roberts and her husband, Ron of Little Rock.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, January 5 at Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct. (NW corner I-630 and Barrow Rd.), Little Rock. The funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 6 at St. James United Methodist Church in Little Rock, officiated by Rev. Fred Haustein. A military graveside service will follow at Pinecrest Memorial Park in the Veterans Annex. Pallbearers will be Matthew, John and Michael Brillhart, Wesley Joslin, Kirk Smith, Randy Scholma, Dan Arnsperger and Brian Cooksey. Honorary pallbearers will be the men of the St. James Agape Sunday School Class.
Memorials may be sent to St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Dr., Little Rock, AR 72212 or to a charity of one's choice.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501)224-2200. Visit Allen's online guestbook at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.