Colonel William “Doug” Brittian, age 93, of Knoxville, passed away Thursday, September 14, 2017, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was born in Harlan County, Kentucky, on February 3, 1924, and moved to Knoxville as a boy. Doug retired from the U.S. Air Force after 33 years of service. He flew P47 fighter aircraft in combat in WWII, and after the war was a test pilot for the Air Force’s first operational jet fighter, the P80. He was also a combat pilot in Vietnam. During his long career he was awarded a Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross; and various other medals and awards. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Brittian; his sons, Wayne (Sandy), Brad (Bonnie) and Mike; and his daughter Judy (Doug); his six grandchildren (Martha, Kathy, Carrie, Katie, Sarah and Ryan); his two great-grandchildren (Eli and Will). He is also survived by his brother Bob Brittian (Shirley) and his sister Jerry Hawkins (Tom) and their families. He is preceded in death by his first wife Martha; his father William and his mother Vesta. The funeral service will be held at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, September 19 at Second Presbyterian Church, 2829 Kingston Pike, Knoxville with visitation to follow. A Graveside Service, with Military Honors, will be held on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice. Family and friends may leave their condolences online at www.highlandmemorialknoxville.com.
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