William David "Doughboy" Brilvitch

William David Mark Brilvitch of Laurel, Maryland, passed away suddenly on Saturday, June 17, 2017.  Bill had not been ill; his passing was unexpected.  He was 54 years old.

William David was born on April 17, 1963 in Connecticut.  He was the son of William and Marie Brilvitch, and the brother of Annmarie, Paul, and Peter.  Bill was the loving husband of Veronica (Marks) Brilvitch for 10 years.

Bill had a love of many things, places, and people. Most importantly though, he loved God.

Bill was a lifetime Catholic and had been a member of the Resurrection Roman Catholic Church in Laurel, Maryland for the past 12 years. Bill was very active in his church serving in many roles and was always volunteering.  He was a member of the Pastoral Council, the Knights of Columbus, and the fourth degree. He had been a Pre-K Religious  and had been on numerous church committees.

Bill loved his country. He served in the Navy as a Cryptology Technician (CT) for 21 years, and then again as a civilian. Bill would often tell stories of his experiences in the navy, and everyone loved listening to his “whale of a tale”.  He spoke often about those people he served with, the many good people that he had made lifelong bonds with.  You could see that he and those he served with were passionate about the jobs they performed, serving our nation.  Everyone who knew Bill said that he was extremely talented and remarked that he always treated everyone with kindness, with dignity, and with respect.

Bill enjoyed attending baseball games.  He loved the Mets and Giants, and occasionally loved the Patriots. Bill also loved ice hockey, and had played roller hockey before being married. When hosting events at his house, you could always count on seeing Bill playing wiffleball with his family and friends.

Bill was an Eagle Scout and served as a Boy Scout Leader for many years. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge and helping others succeed.

Bill also had a passion for comic books that endured into his adulthood. He enjoyed collecting the books, and was always looking for a new “find”.  The day before he passed away, he was talking about how excited he was to be going to the Awesome-Con event the next day.  He had scheduled an appointment to meet Stan Lee of Marvel Comics.  This was a “bucket list” item for Bill, and he was looking forward to having his picture taken with the man responsible for so many of his favorite comics.  Unfortunately, Bill did not make it there in life, but he certainly did in spirit.  He was so excited about it that it was all he talked about for days.  The year before, he had met Timothy Zahn, who is a writer known for the Thrawn series of Star Wars (another of Bill’s loves).

Finally, and second only to God, he loved his family and friends. If Bill met you, he considered you a part of his family.  He would do anything for family and friends.

Bill was teasing, he never got old, but had a youthful exuberance always.  He had many fun obsessions, such as the Pillsbury Doughboy.  His love for the Doughboy led him to have a Doughboy themed wedding, and was the inspiration for his home décor.  Many of his family and friends received Doughboy gifts, because everyone needs a Doughboy (or two, or three, or four, etc.)

Bill was a treasured (step) father and grandfather.  He went by many names such as Doughboy, Grandpa Doughboy, and Pop Pop. He loved to play with and entertain the children. He was the favorite uncle and great uncle for many. He was their friend, confidant, cohort, and more. He always had a joke or two – such as the “fake happy meal” or “shoes” (meaning “issues”).

Bill taught many people how to drive, those within his family and outside his family.  He thought nothing of using his car to take out the learners, and was always patient with them.

Bill tried to teach everyone to be good to each other, to stay connected, and to believe in yourself.  He felt that if you were alive, you were special and that you have promise in your future.  His family and friends were treasures in his eye, especially the children.

Bill would want his family to know that he spoke of all of you often and was proud of each and every one of you. Know he loved you all so very much!

To Bill’s friends, you also were very important to him.  He felt blessed to have known each and every one of you. He would thank you for enriching his life and making it full of laughter and joy.

William David is survived by his loving wife, Veronica Brilvitch; his parents, William and Marie Brilvitch; one sister, Annmarie Ott; two brothers, Paul and Peter Brilvitch; brothers- and sister-in-laws, Mike, Stan, Rob, April, Melissa, Kim, and Janice; mother-in-law, Kathleen Holland, one stepson, Brian Schafer; three grandchildren, Serenity, Lucian, and Hadyn; 22 nieces and nephews, Amanda, Jacob, Rodney, Samuel, Kacy, Steven, Sarah, Jeremy, Brittany, Harold, Josh, Alex, Samantha, Robert III, Nicholas, Jennifer, Nicole, Elaine, Joshua, Trevor, Angel, and Anthony; and 10 great nieces and nephews, Kara, Jacob, Kaitlyn, Hailey, Darrian, Tyler, Steve, Annabell, Joey, and Jaiden.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A. 1411 Annapolis Road Odenton, Maryland 21113.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., prior to the funeral, at Resurrection of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church, 8402 Brock Bridge Road Laurel, Maryland 20724.  The funeral mass will begin at 11:00 a.m. Interment services will be private, at a later date.

The family has requested that you wear the color blue to all services, as an honor to Bill’s love of the Doughboy Blue.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, 701 Wyman Park Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21211.

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