Roll Call Tribute

(Published in) The (Bryan-College Station) Eagle on February 20, 2016

Faulkner, William Brock

July 28, 1981 - February 17, 2016

William Brock Faulkner, 34, of Bryan was released to the presence of Jesus on Wednesday, February 17, 2016, after fighting a two-year battle with leukemia.

Born on July 28, 1981 in Bryan to Bill and Martha Faulkner, Brock married Brittney Schlatre May 22, 2004 in Baton Rouge, LA. He graduated from Bryan High School in 2000, and earned his Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M in Agricultural Engineering. He was a proud member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band (A-Battery), Class of 2004.

Brock learned to ranch from his Granddaddy. From those earliest days driving t-posts to establishing his own beef cattle operation, he was deeply connected to the family land.

His career in teaching culminated in serving as Assistant Professor at A&M; he advised the Secretary of Agriculture on the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force, to which he was just re-appointed; and he consulted for cattle ranchers in Colorado. Among his many awards are the 2012 Texas A&M College of Agriculture Award for Outstanding Achievement in Early Career Research, and the 2014 Gale Holloway ASABE Professional Development Award. His greatest professional joy, though, was working with students. He leaves an uncommon legacy of young men and women who were deeply impacted by his teaching and mentorship.

Brock served as an elder with Community Church of Bryan/College Station. His personal investment in his church community was wholehearted, even in his most difficult seasons. Above all his professional and ranching achievements, Brock's deepest love was and is for Jesus, his wife, children, family, friends, and the people of Community Church.

Brock is survived by his wife Brittney, son Emery, daughter Lyla Kate, and son Charlie; his mother Martha Faulkner, his brother and sister-in-law C.W. and Emily Faulkner and their children Brenna, Joseph, & Carly; and numerous other devoted family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his father Bill.

Visitation will be Saturday, February 20, 3:30-6:00 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan. A service celebrating Brock's life will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 21 at Grace Bible Church Anderson Campus in College Station. A graveside service will follow at Reliance Church Cemetery in Reliance, northeast of Bryan.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Faulkner Fund through Community Church would be appreciated. These will be used to support Brock's children, other families going through cancer treatment, and to plant trees on the family ranch in Brock's honor. Checks should be marked "Faulkner Fund" and sent to Community Church, PO Box 10977, College Station, Texas, 77842.
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(Published in) The (Bryan-College Station) Eagle (on) February 20, 2016

Texas A&M professor remembered as brilliant, caring at emotional memorial service

By Rebecca Fiedler rebecca.fiedler@theeagle.com | Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2016 12:00 am

Liz Hollingsworth, former student of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department professor William Brock Faulkner, speaks about Faulkner’s legacy at a remembrance ceremony in Scoates Hall on the A&M campus on Friday.

Tears, laughter and song filled Scoates Hall on Texas A&M's campus Friday afternoon, as students, faculty and friends gathered to remember professor William Brock Faulkner.

The 34-year-old agricultural engineering professor died Wednesday after a two-year battle with leukemia.

The memorial service began with a slideshow of photos of Faulkner and showcased a rich variety of family, friends and career snapshots. Those who knew him remembered him as a tireless educator and source of inspiration, as well as a dedicated man of Christian faith.

"Dr. Faulkner was someone that I looked up to for inspiration in life," said graduate student Liz Hollingsworth, a former student of Faulkner's.

Hollingsworth shared with the audience how during her undergraduate studies she had gone through a period of physical and mental afflictions that served as an obstacle to her studies, and Faulkner encouraged her through her struggles. She said she would not have had the strength to perform well in any of her classes were it not for the professor's understanding.

Many students shared how Faulkner both challenged and encouraged them. Faculty members expressed feelings of both loss and admiration for Faulkner.

"He was the most brilliant person I'd seen or heard," said Greg Stark, assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. "And he was the most caring professor toward his students."

Many in attendance shared stories of Faulkner's sense of humor. One of his graduate students recalled a time she found him unboxing a new instructional human mannequin for one of his classes, and he told her he planned to dress it in his own clothes and hide it in the yard at home to scare his children. One colleague of Faulkner's laughed as he remembered all the times Faulkner would steal extension cords from him, defending himself by saying, "Aggies don't steal. They acquire."

Many said Faulkner's true loves were his religion, his wife and three children, ranching and his students. As his health waned, those at the memorial said he continued to work hard and impact others, including sharing his Christian faith with fellow cancer patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Faulkner was a 2000 graduate of Bryan High School and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from Texas A&M. He received many awards during his career as an assistant professor at Texas A&M.

Several speaking at the service could not talk without crying, but the lecture hall was filled with strong voices singing The Spirit of Aggieland in tribute to the man who dedicated more than a decade of his life to the university.

Visitation will be from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Grace Bible Church at 700 Anderson Drive in College Station. Burial will be in Reliance Church Cemetery.