Arthur P. Brashear III

Arthur P. Brashear III passed away peacefully February 17th, 2022 of complications from pneumonia. He was 80. A life well-lived only begins to describe the full and wonderfully adventurous existence Arthur enjoyed throughout his days.

He will be dearly missed by his wife of 57 years, Joan Burleson Brashear; his three children Shelley Tomlin, Shannon Longfield and Arthur “Price” Brashear IV; his nine grandchildren, Haley, Edward, John, Max, Avery, Milo, Cinco, Hudson, Sydney as well as a panoply of friends, associates, employees and fellow businesspeople upon whose lives he made such an impact.

Born in Bell County on March 1, 1941 to Arthur Brashear Jr and Marjory Miller Brashear, Arthur used his childhood home as the base for a lifetime of literally traveling the globe, most often with his beloved wife Joan by his side. They made quite the elegant and yes, ultra-fashionable pair as they traveled to some of the world’s most famous destinations: Paris. London. Tokyo. New York. Yet Arthur certainly had a spontaneous side, especially when travel was involved. Quick train trips to Colorado for summers out of the Texas heat; maybe a Super Bowl or two; safaris to Africa; an adventure in Egypt (he happened to be there when Sadat was assassinated); and a constant back and forth up I-35 to Dallas to check on his children and their growing families.

When not traveling, Arthur proved himself to be a tremendous businessman, growing Tex-O-Cal Hardwoods in Temple into a powerhouse in the 80s and 90s: providing millions of board feet of his patented and branded “Mid-Continent” Red Oak throughout the South and West. In time, he then helped his son Price in the founding and early development of Dakota Premium Hardwoods. Arthur was integrally involved as Price’s number one consultant. He was a constant presence at the early Waco branch when Waco was the only branch. He attended early Dakota Manager Round Table collaborations when the nascent leaders talked about how this little ol’ company would grow into the Regional Powerhouse it is today. Those same leaders would comment on “how touching it was to see Arthur beam with pride,” watching his son lead those meetings and see the business grow.

Equally as proud of his daughters, Arthur’s constant quest for knowledge certainly fueled their pursuits of Master’s Degrees in their respective fields, Shelley’s in nursing and Shannon’s in business. He always marveled at their accomplishments and was quite honestly awed by their willingness to answer the calling of medicine and education.

Needless to say, we shall exhaust the dictionary for words to describe Arthur: Son. Husband. Father. Grandfather. Christian. Businessman. Entrepreneur. Avid reader. Part-time historian. Scholar. Mentor. Friend and volunteer.

Arthur was a true gentleman endowed with a lion’s heart and a wickedly impish sense of humor. Never ever calling attention to himself, Arthur made the cancer ward at Baylor Scott & White his own as he spent days that turned into weeks that turned into years offering comfort, solace and oftentimes a laugh to the patients there. What’s more, little do people know, Arthur used his altruistic heart to form the first chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous in Temple as well as help build Temple’s first outlet for Goodwill Industries. Then there are the moments he provided others which we will never know about, just as he intended, a gentle giant to the end.

In loving memory of Arthur Brashear, III, who went to live in glory with his Heavenly Father on Thursday, February 17, 2022, we invite you to please join us for a visitation this Sunday, February 20th from 4:00-6:00 P.M. at the Scanio Harper Funeral Home. Scanio Harper is located at 3110 Airport Road, Temple, Texas 76504. A memorial service honoring Arthur’s life will be held on Monday, February 21st at 10:00 A.M. at Christ Episcopal Church, located at 300 N Main Street, Temple, Texas 76501. Service to be followed immediately by a reception for all guests in the Parrish Hall. After the reception, immediate family is invited to a private graveside service.