Alfons Lee Broz

Alfons “Al” Lee Broz, Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), age 88, passed away peacefully with his wife by his side on Thursday, October 4, 2018 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and father-in-law who lived his life with great love for God, family and country.

Born July 9,1930 in Moravia, TX to Paul and Willie Mae (Wenglar) Broz, Al attended Moravia School and was a member of The Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church. In 1947, Al graduated from Schulenburg High School then went on to Schreiner Institute military prep school in Kerrville, TX and The University of Texas at Austin where he was a military cadet in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). He graduated from UT in 1952 with a Business Administration degree and minors in Czech and Russian and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. He later attended the Russian Language Institute at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY where he received extensive Soviet Union area studies.

Al honorably served his country in the U.S. Air Force as an Intelligence Officer, retiring as a full Colonel in 1982. In his distinguished 30 year military career he served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars; National Security Agency; White House military social aide to Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy; US Military Liaison Mission in Berlin, East Germany; Defense and Air Attache in the U.S. Embassy in Prague, CSSR; Office of the Chief of Staff in the Pentagon; and his final assignment as Commander of the Air Force Special Activities Center, Ft. Belvoir, VA. Al was interviewed for the West Point Center for Oral History in 2017. http://westpointcoh.org/interviews/reflections-of-a-cold-war-air-force-intelligence-officer

In June 1963, Al married the love of his life, Jacqueline “Jackie” Evelyn Ahler, in her hometown of Lyons, Wisconsin. They met in 1962 attending daily mass on Sheppard AFB where Jackie was also serving in the Air Force. They traveled the world and were blessed with three terrific children: Paul, Terry, and Donna. Al and Jackie were married for 55 wonderful years, always renewing their wedding vows with each anniversary.

After his military retirement in 1982, Al worked for 15 years as a defense consultant. For 30 years, he was also President of The Czech National Chapel of Our Lady of Hostyn (The Czech Chapel) in honor of St. John Neumann, 4th Bishop of Philadelphia, at The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC. He was a devout Catholic and a proud first generation Czech-American.

Al was very proud to be from Texas, and was a big fan of the Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys football teams. During football season, you could often hear Al shout a hearty ‘Yahoo!’ as those teams scored. He especially loved visiting family in Texas and his Wenglar cousin reunions.

Al is survived by his beloved wife, Jacqueline; his children: son, Terry; son, Paul and wife Jodi, and their children Madeline, Anthony, and Vincent; daughter, Donna (Broz) Hoffman and husband Thomas, and their children Lauren and Lindsay; Al’s sister, Dorothy Nunn of New Mexico and sister-in-law, Dorothy “Dottie” Broz of Texas. Al was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Franklin “Frank” Broz.

The memorial service will be held at St. Phillip the Apostle Catholic Church, 7500 St. Philip’s Court, Falls Church, VA, on Saturday, October 13, 2018. Visitation is from 12 pm – 1 pm and Mass from 1 pm – 2 pm. Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life reception in Hayden Hall from 2 – 4 p.m. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery on a future date.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to either the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area or Capital Caring Hospice (links included below). Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be made online at www.murphyfuneralhomes.com