Richard “Dick” Brill
Departed this life on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 in Chesterfield, Missouri.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents, George and Leona Brill, and his sister Eleanor House (Michael). He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Lupe, son George Brill, daughter Tish Hutchinson (Corey), six grandchildren (Jason, Josh, Jessica, Jackson, Anna and Natalie), two great-grandchildren (Hailey and Asher), his brother John Brill (Janet) and many nieces and nephews.
Dick was born and raised in Kankakee, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame as an Aeronautical Engineer in 1954. He worked as a civilian in the Air Force and later met the love of his life, Lupe, in Chicago Illinois. They moved to St. Louis in 1963 where he worked at McDonnell Douglas for 29 years. During the dawn of the space race, he played an integral role on various aircraft and space programs, including Apollo, Gemini, Skylab and Space Shuttle. In 1991, after his first retirement, he helped found a new tech company with his son, George. He lovingly helped his son grow that business, Talisen Technologies, for 10 years.
Dick lived his life to the fullest and was happiest being around his family and friends. He was known for having a twinkle in his eye and a quick wit. He enjoyed sports, especially football, and was an avid Notre Dame fan his entire life. Dick was a member of Ascension Church where he was involved in the St. Vincent de Paul Society for many years. His final act of service was to donate his body to St. Louis University for medical research.
Services: A funeral Mass will be held at Ascension Catholic Church, 230 Santa Maria Drive, Chesterfield, MO 63005 on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. with a reception in the Parish Hall immediately afterwards. Livestreaming of the Mass will be available on YouTube and Facebook. The stream will begin approximately five minutes before the start time.
To access using YouTube: YouTube.com/ascensionchurch
To access by using Facebook: Facebook.com/ascensionchesterfield
In lieu of flowers, contributions to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Ascension Catholic Church are greatly appreciated.
Condolence(1)-
Grant Smith says
November 12, 2022 at 4:16 pmHello Brill family, so sorry for your loss. I found out about Mr Brill’s passing quite by accident (or providence?), on a parking spot airport bus talking with an architect, I’m told this gentleman I met was the architect of Ascension, who drives a jaguar.…anyway, I just want to tell you Mr Brill was instrumental in my Aerospace Engineering career, he helped me get started at McDonnell Douglas back in 1990. We met when I was a machinist at Watts Precision Machine working my way through college. Mr Brill was a pleasure to work with and taught me a lot about what it’s like being an Aeronautical Engineer. Helped me plow through my senior year struggles. Thanks so much for sharing him with us. Sorry I couldn’t be with you to celebrate Mr Brill and his impact on all whom he encountered. I pray that fond memories overwhelm your grief today and always. Peace be with you, Grant