Memorial Services will be at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, August 22, 2003 at the First Presbyterian Church of Canyon with The Rev. Dr. Don McDonald, pastor, Rev. Terry Lowe, pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Shamrock, Rev. Gerry Lewis, pastor of Eagle Mountain Baptist Church of Ft. Worth, and Rev. Kathleen Jones officiating. Graveside services will be at 10:00 A.M. on Friday at Dreamland Cemetery. Mr. Brantley was born August 22, 1922, at Yorktown, Texas. He attended several small Texas public schools, graduating from Harlandale High School, San Antonio, Texas, in 1940. Mr. Brantley served as a 1 st Lt. in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, piloting B-24 bombers in the Pacific theater. After the war Mr. Brantley completed a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1947 at Southwest Texas State University, and in 1949, he received the first Master of Music in Vocal Performance ever awarded by the University of T exas- Austin. As a graduate assistant, Mr. Brantley taught vocal music at U. T. for two years, and was head of the Vocal Music Department and Director of Choirs at Tarleton State for four years. Mr. Brantley came to Canyon and West Texas State University in 1953 where he served as associate professor of vocal music and head of the Vocal Music Department until 1984. He continued as a part-time instructor for four years teaching voice and music composition. Mr. Brantley, ""Mr. B"" to his students, introduced musical theatre and opera to the High Plains through his directorship of the WTSU Opera Workshop. From 1953 to 1979, Mr. Brantley directed, composed, conducted, produced and/or performed in 54 opera and musical theater productions at WT. His original opera Samuel was produced in the Branding Iron Theatre in 1978. During his tenure as director of opera workshop, the opera and musical theatre productions drew sell-out crowds from allover the panhandle and were a primary tool for recruiting music and theatre students for WTSU. Mr. Brantley was the original music director for the musical drama TEXAS (1966-1979), adapting, arranging, and adding to the score over the course of 18 years, and he followed original Artistic Director and fellow founder William A. Moore as the second Artistic Director of TEXAS (1980-1984). Mr. Brantley is also remembered as an accomplished performer for his professional portrayal of the King in The King and I (1959), Tony in The Most Happy Fella (1968), Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof(1972), and Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha (1975). Mr. Brantley made his last appearance on the stage of the Branding Iron Theatre with a cameo role as Erronius in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum in 1990. During his career, Mr. Brantley's many accomplishments were recognized with honors and awards. These include The WT AMU Alumni Association Phoenix Award for Teaching Excellence in 1978, his induction into the WT AMU Branding Iron Theatre Hall of Fame in 1990, Professor Emeritus of Music - West Texas A&M University in 1987, and the nationally recognized Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Orpheus Award in 1999. Royal L. Brantley is survived by his wife Charlotte Rugel Brantley; two daughters: Susan Brantley Milligan of Cincinnati, Ohio; Julie Brantley Petruccione and husband Nicholas of Canyon; a daughter-in-law: Sally N Brantley of Canyon; a son: Royal R. Brantley and wife Karen of Amarillo; four sisters: Mrs. June Hughes, Mrs. Lucille Whitmill, Mrs. Glenna Isham and husband Woodrow all of Seguin; and Mrs. Kathleen Jones of Austin; a brother: David Brantley and wife Janet of San Antonio; three granddaughters: Julie Kathleen Milligan of Austin; Susan Brantley of Dallas, and Charlotte Erin Gregg of Canyon; eight grandsons: Dr. Sean Milligan and wife Katie of Dallas; John Nester Brantley and wife Tiffany of Austin; Bobby Paul Gregg of Canyon; Charles Brantley and wife Krissy of Dallas; Anthony Petruccio