Lamar Brantley, of Chicago, IL, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2023.  He lived a rewarding life devoted to family and friends, with a passion for good food and travel and a love for his hometown of Chicago -- walks along the lake; enjoying the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera and summer concerts at Millennium Park; and local sports teams, primarily the Bears and his beloved Cubbies.

Ralph Lamar Brantley, Jr. was born on November 27, 1940, in Macon, Georgia to Ralph Lamar Brantley and Josie Rooks Davis Brantley.  He attended Lanier High School (1955-58) where he was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corp and played drums in the band.  He started college at North Georgia College (1958-9), but later transferred to Mercer University in Macon (1959-62), from which he graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a degree in Economics.  Concurrent with his graduation, the Army identified him as an "officer and a gentleman", with a grade of Second Lieutenant.  Alongside his military engagement, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity.  He had the choice of military branch in which to serve post-college and because of his eyesight, he could only  choose non-combat operations thereby picking the Finance Corps which ultimately led him into his career in banking.  During his six years of service in the Army Finance Corps, the military was converting from a paper to electronic pay system, which he helped implement and gave him experience in rudimentary electronic banking, an area he further developed throughout his career progression.  He served in Indiana and Nebraska before leaving active duty, with the rank of First Lieutenant and the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service.  He moved to the Atlanta area for work and his reserve duties, finally ending his military obligation as a Captain.  He credited his Army experience as valuable for having allowed him to serve a cause larger than the individual, for teaching valuable lessons about leadership and teamwork, for having served him in securing his first job, and for helping to shift his career path from general bank executive to one heavily involved with technology.

He worked at Decatur Federal Savings and Loan Association in Decatur, Georgia for ten years (1964-1974) before moving to Chicago to work with the United States Savings and Loan League, later relocating with the organization to Washington, D.C. when it became America's Community Bankers, where he remained until retirement in 2000.

He married his first wife, Carolyn Gates Scoville Brantley in 1961.  Together they had three children.  He married his second wife, Maria Daschynutsch Kulczycky, with whom he had one daughter in 1978.  They remained married until her death in 2018.

He spent his retirement in pursuit of his passions.  He meticulously researched his family roots, producing many written records of his genealogy, including travels throughout the South to visit city halls and historical societies in search of information.  He was an avid reader, carefully keeping a log of the books he read, always ready to share a recommendation from his wide-ranging selection.  He enjoyed trying new restaurants with friends, but equally enjoyed cooking and hosting dinner parties at home.  He enjoyed watching Formula One races and traveling to auto races in the South and Midwest, as well as in Europe.  He was an avid tennis player and enjoyed baseball from his earliest days, when he first remembered listening to it on the radio.  Music played a big part in his life.  Having played the drums in the high school band, you could often find him quietly tapping his fingers on furniture, tables or the steering wheel.  He enjoyed listening to jazz and classical music, which provided the backdrop to his days until the end.  He was proud of having taken each of his four children to their first live concert--although musical preferences may have varied.  Travel, both locally and abroad, remained a source of great enjoyment.  He loved camping, train travel and made many friends on trips he took to Europe, Southeast Asia, China, East Africa, and South America.  His favorite place to vacation was Fernandina Beach, Florida, a place he started going as a young child with his parents and where he continued to spend summers throughout his life with his own growing family and many cousins.  He was proud to have taught all his children, and most of his grandchildren, to body surf there.  He most enjoyed sitting under the pier and enjoying his favorite beer, PBR, between dips in the water to enjoy the waves and Florida summer sun.

He is survived by his children Catherine (Clay Malcolm) Brantley Savage of Panacea, FL;  Nancy (Richard) Southgate of Lexington, KY; Philip Brantley of Doraville, GA; Nina (Olivier) Grellier of Vienna, Austria;  grandchildren Nicholas (Austin) Johnson-Savage of Painsville, OH; Rebecca (Alex) Ferro of Ooltewah, TN; Oliver (Savannah Perry) Brantley of Atlanta, GA; Owen Southgate of Chandler, AZ; Gabriel Grellier of Vienna, Austria; and Josephine Grellier of Vienna, Austria.  His family and friends, from across the U.S. and the world will warmly remember him for his kindness and quick wit.

He will be buried alongside his wife of 39 years, Maria Kulczycky, at Graceland Cemetery in a private graveside service for his immediate family.  Lamar and Maria chose historic Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum because it represents much of what they cherished about Chicago.  It is in the heart of the community where they spent a happy life together.  It has an 'L' track running along one side, you can hear crowd noise from Wrigley Field and enjoy a "Chicago-style" hot dog nearby at Byron's, their favorite.  Finally, as it has arboretum status, its grounds are conscientiously managed and are beautiful in all seasons.

A celebration of life will be held for family and friends at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in his memory to WFMT Fine Arts radio station (WFMT.com/tribute  or  secure.wttw.com/honor memorial).  Classical music was an integral part of his life, as was the city he called home, thus he felt Chicago's classical music station deserves continued support.