Philip Bradley Tilford

CAMDEN — A Mass of Christian Burial for Philip Bradley Tilford, 70, of Camden will be held Friday, August 7, 2009, at noon at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church with the Rite of Committal at 2:00 p.m. in Fort Jackson National Cemetery. A rosary will be recited Thursday, August 6, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. with a visitation to follow until 8:00 p.m. at Kornegay Funeral Home, Camden Chapel. Memorials may be made in Mr. Tilford’s memory to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1709 Lyttleton Street, Camden, SC 29020.
 
Mr. Tilford, born August 14, 1938, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, owner of Fairfield Health Care facility in Ridgeway. He was a career officer in the United States Air Force as a navigation instructor then a pilot. His career included two tours in the Southeast Asian War. He was one of the initial Air Force participants working at the Ames Research Center in support of the Apollo Space Program. He headed flight training programs for the Turkish, Royal Saudi and Iranian Air Force pilots under the Shah in the early 70’s. He had been an instructor pilot, chief flight safety officer, chief operations officer, student branch and Morale, Welfare and Recreation officer during his Air Force career. He served in the Pacific Air Command in the air operations field. He was assigned the headquarter PACAF in the Pacific and was on the Security Assistance Team. He was editor of the Pacific Air Command Safety Magazine. During his lifetime he had been selected as Rookie of the Year by the Indiana Midget Racing Association as a midget race car driver. He was a past board member of the Camden Country Club and member of the Sunset Country Club in Sumter. His duties included being a past officer of the Optimist Club and Toastmasters. He participated in the Southern Seniors Golf Association as a board member and he headed the ratings team for the SC Golf Association. He was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church.
 
He is survived by his wife, Janis Marie Williams Tilford; children, Randy K. Tilford of Camden and Shannon N. Tilford, of Columbia, brother, Greg Tilford and his wife Janet of Lucas, TX; sister-in-law, Joyce E. Tilford of Shelbyville, IN, and nieces and nephews, Cheryl Blocher, David A. Tilford, Brett Tilford and Josh Tilford. He was predeceased by a brother, Ron Tilford.
 
Kornegay Funeral Home, Camden Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
 
Online condolences may be sent to the Tilford family by visiting www.kornegayfuneral.com.