Robert A. Brisentine Jr.

Robert A. Brisentine, Jr.
July 26, 1927 – February 28, 2025
Robert A. "Bob" Brisentine, Jr., passed away on February 28, 2025, at the age of 97 surrounded by family at his home in Selbyville, DE. Born on July 26, 1927 in Prospect, VA, he was the son of the late Robert A. Brisentine, Sr., and Bertha Kelly, who were farmers in Prince Edward County, VA.
Robert was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mercedes Glinscheg Brisentine, and his cherished daughter, Cecilia Kay Hellwig, as well as his aforementioned parents and brother, Harold (Bris) Brisentine.
He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Brisentine of Pasadena, MD; his son, R. Allen Brisentine, III (Sharon) of Pasadena, MD; and daughter, Kelly Nusser (George) of Severn, MD.
Robert had a full, enriching life that included 44 years in the US Army (22 years active duty retiring as a CWO-2), almost all of which was in the criminal justice arena. He was a leading expert in the field of polygraph conducting many high profile examinations in criminal cases as a line polygrapher and later as the Chief of US Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Polygraph. He also revolutionized Army crime records operations while the Director of US Army CID Crime Records Center through the digitization of paper files into retrievable records that could be accessed by investigators worldwide on a 24/7/365 basis. The result of this innovation was a 15% increase in solve rates the years immediately following the effort.
With tours of duty in Italy at the end of WWII, in Korea during the Korean Conflict and Germany during the Cold War, Robert's bravery and devotion to country were exemplary. His case history recollections were almost as enthralling as the stories of he and his Army pals when they were off duty. Robert is enshrined in both the Military Police and CID Halls of Fame, the first ever to accomplish this feat. He was also a past President of the American Polygraph Association and a founding member of the Maryland Polygraph Association.
Robert loved the outdoors, was an avid hunter and camper through his 50's, enjoyed boating, trips to the beach, and spoiling his many canine kids, especially Buster. He was also a huge fan of the Baltimore Orioles and rarely missed a game on TV where he was ready to offer verbal assistance to the umpires. Most importantly, he was a devoted family man who dearly loved his Italian war bride Mercedes, their four children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. As we gathered around him in his final week, his last words to us were "I love you."
Having lived a great life to the fullest, Robert/Bob/Dad/Pop will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. A small family service will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made to organizations that support US Veterans such as the VFW National Home.