Bryan S. Halter, Jr.

Age 86, passed away on August 16, 2020, at his home in Lansing, MI. Bryan was born to Col. Bryan S. Halter, Sr. and Gwendolyn Williams Halter on October 10, 1933, in Colfax, Washington. He attended grade school in many states as his father was an Army officer.

He graduated from Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville Illinois in 1952 He received a BA from Illinois College in Jacksonville in 1956 with a major in English, Speech & Dramatics and a minor in economics.

Bryan’s first employment was at age 14, with the Illinois State Journal and Register in Springfield, Illinois as a local correspondent writing a daily column for several years. He began his professional career in radio and television at age 19 at WLDS AM-FM in Jacksonville, IL. After college, he was with WQXT Radio in Palm Beach, Florida.

Bryan moved to Lansing in 1960 and lived in the same house until he passed away. He started working at WJIM AM-FM-TV. where, in addition to other assignments, he was editorial researcher and writer, handled financial news, commodity reports on both radio and TV (elsewhere) developed the format for Merrill Lynch’s daily local radio stock report and was in charge of WJIM AM and FM radio operations.

He was admitted into the American Mensa Society after having been invited to participate in their testing program in connection with the Society’s appearance on an interview program on WJIM.

Starting in the early 1970’s, he put WVIC Radio on the air. Bryan created the program format, automated the music library, negotiated membership in Associated Press, hired and supervised on-air, sales and office staff, set up billing, payroll records, oversaw FCC regulation and copyright compliance, represented station in legal hearings, designed advertising rate structures, prepared sales materials, newspaper advertising and promotional programs.

Bryan retired from WJIM in the mid 1980’s and became involved in many endeavors. He was a very active member in his church, Central United Methodist. He served on many of its boards and commissions and designed the church website.

He served with the Tri-County United Fund, AARP State Legislative Committee of Michigan and the AARP Healthcare Task Force on which he assisted in successfully establishing standards for health insurance coverage of diabetes monitoring equipment, supplies and education.

He participated in the Open-Door Ministry of Downtown Lansing (aiding the disadvantaged) and was designer of their website. Bryan actively participated in the attempt to acquire the Oliver Tower apartment building for conversion to homeless housing and handled publicity for the Ministry.

Bryan also served as an Investment Advisor, registered with the US Securities & Exchange Commission. He created national financial advertising which appeared in Barron’s weekly. He also researched and wrote articles for major investment research firms. His commentary on the interpretation of Dow Theory was published in Barron’s.

His national healthcare plan appeared in the New York Times, and he worked with Rep. Pete Stark of California, chairman of the US House Healthcare Subcommittee on national health plans as well.

His background included opinion surveying for broadcast stations over many years, and he wrote a computer program to process data in accordance with mathematical statistics methods.

He was extremely interested in and talented with computers. He taught himself how to write computer programs many years before most people had PC’s in their homes.

Bryan had a photographic memory. He remembered everything he read.

His interests included electronics, with special attention to audio/video display. Bryan entertained many of his family and friends in the home theater in his basement that he made by himself in the 1990’s. He had a projection TV and a huge screen, special movie theater chairs and a curtain that opened and closed in front of the screen. He was very proud of his theater and his movie collection.

Bryan also loved automobiles. He had a 1960 Corvette, a 1977 Pontiac LeMans, a huge blue 1976 Cadillac DeVille 4 door sedan, 1997 Cadillac Seville and a 2000 Dodge Ram truck named “Red.”

He is survived by his two nieces, Gail L. Bodine of N. Las Vegas, NV and Sherry A. Doney (nee Bodine) and husband Warren Doney of O’Fallon, MO; great-niece, Elizabeth (Doney) Nichols; great-nephew, Blackarachnia Lavigne; great-great-niece, Gabriella Nichols; great-great-nephew, Jaxson Nichols; and cousins, Sharon Wight, Susan Roseborough, Leslie McKee, Becky Stasi, Christopher, Katherine and Nancy Williams. He was single and preceded in death by his parents, sister Gwendolyn Halter Bodine, and cousin Patrick Williams.

Private interment will take place at Evergreen Cemetery, in Lansing, Michigan. Bryan’s family will welcome guests for a celebration of his life, at a later date, due to the COVID pandemic.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Central United Methodist Church in memory of Mrs. Bryan S. Halter, Bryan S. Halter, Jr., and Gwendolyn Halter Bodine, American Foundation for the Blind in memory of Bryan S. Halter, Jr., or the Glaucoma Foundation, in memory of Bryan S. Halter, Jr. Arrangements are by the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel.