Brian Shepard Hallman, 76, of Charleston, SC, passed away peacefully at his home on March 18 after a long illness with a neurological disease.

Brian is survived by his wife, Sally Hallman, daughters, Angie (Glen) Case and Julie (Todd) Hallman, step-son, Brendan Davis, grandchildren, Jaden and Tyler Case, Remington Marvil, and Sophia Davis, his sister Lorrie Wegener and his brother Paul (Maureen) Hallman.

Brian was born to the late Paul and Ruthine Hallman in Washington D.C. on April 4, 1947. Growing up, Brian was lucky to live abroad for many years due to his father’s occupation. He lived in Bangkok, Thailand from the age of ten to fifteen. The family then moved to Cario, Egypt during his high school years. These experiences gave him his love of traveling and exploring diverse cultures. They also shaped what would become a career full of international travel and diplomacy.

Brian returned to the United States to attend William and Mary, graduating in 1969 and then received his Masters at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. In 1988, he married Sally who was faithfully by his side until his death.

His career was quite interesting as he worked for three different entities within international fisheries which took him across the world. Brian worked for 25 years for the Department of State in the Fisheries Department negotiating treaties for safer fishing practices with other countries. During his time at the State Department, Brian received an award for Outstanding Achievements in Global Affairs and was described as “playing a pivotal role in developing international oceans policy and resolving numerous marine resource issues.” He was credited with negotiating large-scale agreements to protect dolphins and sea turtles, mediating jurisdictional disputes between the US and other countries, and formulating sanctions for countries that violated conservation safeguards.

In 1999, after being in the DC area for all his adult life, Brian and Sally moved to San Diego so Brian could pursue another branch of his career at the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. In this role, Brian began fighting for the conservation and sustainable management of tuna and other fish.

He worked there for a decade before transitioning to yet another arm of international fisheries. In 2011 until his retirement in 2019, he was the Executive Director of The American Tunaboat Association in San Diego, CA, where he advocated for owners and operators of the US Pacific tuna fleet. Had Brian not received his diagnosis, he would likely still be working. He truly loved his last job and the connections he made with the American tuna boat owners.

By this time, Brian had become the true expert in his career. One of his colleagues described his intelligence, strategic thinking, keen insights, and sly wit as things to be remembered about Brian.

Brian loved his work. He loved to travel and he loved international politics and news. And especially discussing these topics over a nice meal and bottle of wine!

Although Brian and Sally both loved living in Point Loma in San Diego, they moved to Charleston in 2019 to be closer to family.

Finally, you cannot think of Brian and not think of baseball. It was his passion and he followed the sport closely his whole life. One of his favorite things was his participation in an annual baseball fantasy league with his friends. Although it was just for fun, his team, the Foggy Bottoms, was quite successful.

Donations can be made to your favorite American Veteran’s charity. 

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