Robert Anthony Balentine, III

Chief Master Sergeant Robert A. (Tony) Balentine, USAF Retired, passed away in San Antonio, Texas on January 5, 2023, with his wife Alyson, son Alton, and brother Jim by his side. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he grew up in a military family, spending his early years in Fort Worth, Texas; Tampa, Florida; Paris, France; Montgomery Alabama; and graduating from Yamato High School in Tachikawa, Japan. Music was always an important part of his life, and he played guitar, sang with folk groups in school, played trombone, and attended NTSU (now UNT) as a music major in the early 60's. He played trombone professionally in Austin before deciding to make the Air Force his career.

His 30-year career in the Air Force, most of those years with the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC), included an early assignment to Blenheim, New Zealand, where he met and married his wife, Alyson Heather Cameron. Referring to himself often as a "tumbleweed", living wherever the wind took him, his assignments included Sacramento, California; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Yokota, Japan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas, where he retired in 1995. His many TDYs throughout his career took him literally around the world several times. His honors included the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and many others.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lt. Col. Robert A. Balentine, Jr., mother Eleanore Smith Balentine, sister Kathryn Ohnheiser, and brother Douglas Balentine. He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Alyson Cameron Balentine; a son, Alton Cameron Balentine; brother James S. (Jim) and wife Cindy Balentine; brother Bruce Balentine and Nancy Cummings; sister-in-law Susan Neely; stepmother Wanda Balentine, stepbrothers Larry Hussey and Steve Hussman, many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles, and numerous friends and colleagues.

A service with military honors will be at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, February 10, 11:15am.