Mary Brill

BRILL, Mary Florence age 90, of Shelton, died peacefully at home on the morning of April 23, 2013 surrounded by her loved ones. Born on June 20, 1922 in Liverpool, England, Mary Florence Miller came to the United States aboard the S.S. Cedric, her first adventure at sea, in March, 1931 with her Mother and three younger siblings. Her father had come to America the year before. They settled first in Stratford and then Bridgeport, where Florence graduated from Bassick High in 1940. After high school, Florence took engineering and drafting courses earning a position in the blueprint department of Chance Vought Aircraft in Stratford and Texas. In 1946, she attained her private pilot's license and loved flying her own Taylorcraft BF-65. Florence was an outstanding and well-respected Architectural Designer who worked with generations of home builders in the region as well as designed and actively helped construct her own home. Florence was also a Connecticut Realtor, enjoying a long and satisfying career with Roscoe Real Estate in Huntington. Ever active, "Flo" was a Girl Scout Leader, PTA President and VFW Auxiliary President. Florence also excelled at two of her passions: downhill skiing and painting. Her hilarious stories about her adventures while skiing in Stowe, Vermont and the Rocky Mountains in Vail, Colorado were legendary with her family and friends. As a painter, she worked in many mediums, especially oils and watercolors. An avid reader, Florence cherished and treasured books of both fact and fiction. Traveling was also a true pleasure for her, always enjoying new sights. Her lifelong loves also included poetry, art, history, sports, gardening and the music of Glenn Miller. Other than the comfort of her own home, Florence's favorite place on earth was Martha's Vineyard Island. Florence is survived by her daughters, Barbara Ann Pouliot and Lynn Florence Bunnell; and her son, Scott Richard Brill, all of Shelton; and her son-in-law, Kevin Moore of Westport. She is also survived by her granddaughters and their spouses, Tracy Lynn (Don) Jones, Kimberly "Cricket" Ann (John) Biehn, Jennifer Joan (Adam) Hoskins; and her great-grandchildren, Joshua, Alisha and Shelby; and by her sister, Barbara Wright of Bradenton, Florida; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband of 46 years, Richard F. Brill; and was also preceded in death by her Father and Mother, Robert and Mary Miller, her sister, Sylvia Miller Burrill and her brother, Alan Miller. A Celebration of the Life of Mary Florence will be held on Saturday June 22, 2013 at the Old Monroe Airfield, 500 Moose Hill Road, Monroe CT (same entrance as St. John's Cemetery) beginning at 10 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in the name of Mary Florence Brill to The Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust (www.mvpreservation.org/p.php/preservation/donate). The Miller-Ward Funeral Home of Seymour is caring for the family. "I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by." (from the poem, Sea Fever by British poet, John Masefield).