Virgil Alton Brecheen

Virgil Alton Brecheen, 90, died, Wednesday, May 5, 2010. A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 2:00pm at Trinity Baptist Church. A private family entombment will be held at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Pastor Nate Magloughlin of Trinity Baptist Church and Pastor Ricky Pfeil of Kingdom Keys Church will officiate. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 South Georgia.Virgil graduated High School at Frenship High School in Wolfforth, Texas and attended Texas Tech University prior to entering the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later became the U.S. Air Force.  After serving four years, he was discharged from the Air Force as an Administrative Specialist with the rank of Master Sergeant.  After discharge, he was employed with the West Texas Gas Co. which later became the Pioneer Natural Gas Corporation. The company was again changed to Pioneer Corporation. Virgil was employed with all of the companies for a total of 40 years and retired in 1985 as the Tax and Insurance Commissioner.Virgil was a member of the Advisory Board of the Texas Industrial Insurance Board at Austin for several years and other groups involving industrial insurance and taxes.He was also a Charter Member of the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple in Lubbock, TX for more than 50 years. Virgil was also a member of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of Central Baptist Church in Lubbock, TX where he was ordained as a Deacon in 1950.  Virgil moved to Amarillo in 1960 and was a member of Trinity Baptist Church since that time.He was involved in organizing a Kiwanis Club Jazz Band in Lubbock and continued to participate in the Kiwanis Band in Amarillo for many years.Virgil had an ardent desire for music, especially religious music.  He was piano accompanist for a Gospel Quartet in Lubbock for many years and was piano accompanist for a Gospel Quartet in Amarillo until present.  Southern gospel music was his love and his ministry.  Virgil had played piano for the Adult I department at Trinity Baptist for many years.Virgil Brecheen was preceded in death by his mother and father, four brothers and one sister.  He is survived by wife J.B. Brecheen; son David Brecheen; three grandchildren, Jacob, Chantry, and Courtney Brecheen; and two great-granddaughters, Sabrine Brecheen and Alessandra Brecheen.

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