Brian was a lifelong resident of Southern California. He was born on September 30th, 1959 in San Diego, to his parents Gwen and Bob. Brian was the youngest of four siblings: Dave, Cindy, Susie, and then Brian.
Driven by his passion for technology and computers, Brian attended college at California State University, Northridge, for Computer Science. Paying his own way through college, Brian split his time between programming jobs and taking classes, eventually graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor’s degree. During his time at CSUN, Brian met the love of his life Ann-Marie Finnstrom, who was also in the computer science program.
Brian and Ann-Marie soon realized that they wanted to spend all of their time together, leading to their marriage in 1988. In 1990, Ann-Marie gave birth to their first son Matthew, followed by their second son Scott in 1992. Looking for a nice place with good schools to raise their family, they moved to Oak Park in 1997. Brian worked hard to provide for his family, getting a nice home and putting his kids through school. In 2009, Brian and Ann-Marie had their daughter Olivia, just as Matthew and Scott were leaving for college. Matthew and Scott went on to marry their respective partners Ashley and Spencer. Brian’s grandson Callum was born to parents Matthew and Ashley in 2022.
Brian prioritized his family over everything else and loved to spend time with them. Despite working long hours and traveling frequently for a high paying job to support them, Brian always made time to be with his family. He was excited to celebrate holiday traditions with them such as decorating, making cookies, carving pumpkins, hiding Easter eggs, picking out the Christmas tree, and giving presents. Always there to cheer on his kids, Brian attended all of their activities such as sports games, recitals/concerts, plays, and school meetings/conferences, even if he had to drive straight from the airport to get there. Brian also enjoyed taking his family out for activities such as hiking, camping, swimming, bicycle riding, bowling, golf, hockey, and tennis. He also shared his passion for science fiction and technology with his family, leading both of his sons to follow in Brian’s footsteps as software engineers.
For almost four decades, Brian worked as a Software Engineer at several companies, eventually becoming a Senior Software Engineering Lead. He was known for being a great developer/architect, a brilliant technical person that delivers far beyond what is expected of him, and someone who is able to grasp and solve very complex and subtle issues. His teammates also saw him as a good communicator who is patient and easy to work with and a voice of reason who was great for bouncing ideas off of.
Brian retired from his job in 2016, and in 2017 he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. Despite his condition, Brian was never one to complain and maintained a positive outlook. Thanks to the diligent care of his wife Ann-Marie, Brian was able to remain at home during his final years. He also continued going out with the family for fun activities such as movies, bowling, and golf, and went on many trips to Disneyland, Great Wolf Lodge, and various zoos & museums. Brian was also able to travel to Hawaii, Sun River, Zion National Park, England, and San Diego for family vacations. To help advance treatment for Lewy Body Dementia, Brian participated in several research studies. He told the doctors that he didn’t regret anything and felt that he had a good life.
Brian’s family and friends will remember him as being confident and funny, always finding the perfect punchline for a situation. He was fair, kind, unselfish, and quick to stand up for himself and others. Brian leaves behind his wife, three children, grandson, two siblings, and many nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed.
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