Fr. William Brantley

1954 - 2022

Fr. William Mark Brantley
December 21, 1954 - April 20, 2022
Medicine Lodge, Kansas - Father William Mark Brantley, 67, entered into eternal rest on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 surrounded by his family and friends at the Priest Retirement Center in Bel Aire Kansas.
Father Brantley was born on December 21, 1954 in Waltham MA, to father David Brantley, an agent for the FBI and his mother Verna (Lowry) Brantley, a homemaker.
Father Brantley was a proud 1977 graduate of Baylor University in Waco, TX. He received his Masters of Business Administration at the University of South Dakota. He is also graduated from the Marine Corp Command and Staff College and the Air Force Command Staff College.
He entered the Air Force following graduation. Father Brantley followed in his father's footsteps in law enforcement by becoming an Air Force Security Forces officer. In December 1980, Father Brantley entered pilot training. Upon graduation, he flew the EC-135 "Looking Glass" for Strategic Air Command at Ellsworth AFB SD. His next assignment was Castle AFB CA where he was a KC-135A instructor/evaluator pilot. He left the Active Duty and joined the Air Force Reserves in 1991. He flew with the 437 Air Refueling Wing Grissom ARB, IN and his final assignment was with the 931ST Air Refueling Group, McConnell AFB Kansas.
Father Brantley served his country for over 26 years with multiple tours in Europe and Southwest Asia conducting operations during the Cold War and the Global War on Terrorism. He flew over 7000 hours while receiving four Meritorious Service Medals, an Air medal, Joint Commendation Medal and four Air Force Commendation Medals. After retiring from the Air Force, Father Brantley flew for Airborne Express until he retired from flying in 2009.
Father Brantley converted to Catholicism in 2006 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. He served in several church ministries including the Knights of Columbus where he was a 4th Degree Knight. He heard the call to service as a priest and entered the seminary of Pope St John XXIII National Seminary at Weston, MA. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in June 2017 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City, KS. He served as the Associate Pastor at St Dominic in Garden City KS until 2018. His final pastoral assignment was as the pastor of Holy Rosary (Medicine Lodge, Ks), St. Boniface (Sharon, KS) and St John the Apostle (Kiowa, KS).
Father Brantley is survived by his brother Dr. Scott Brantley, sister Susan Brantley, sister-in-law Peggy Dolinich, niece Courtney Brantley and nephew Matthew Brantley. Father Brantley was preceded in death by his father David Brantley and mother Verna Brantley.
Rosary/vigil services will be held on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 6:00 p.m, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 645 N 119th St W, Wichita, KS 67235.
Rosary/vigil services will be held on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 7:00 p.m., at St. Boniface Catholic Church, Sharon, KS.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church, Sharon, KS. Burial will follow at St. Boniface Cemetery, Sharon, KS with military honors by the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard.
Memorials may be made to the St. Boniface Catholic Church, the Holy Rosary Catholic Church or to St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in care of Larrison Funeral Home, 120 E. Lincoln, Medicine Lodge, KS 67104. Condolences may be left at www.larrisonmortuary.com