Brian Brousseau

1958 - 2023

Niantic - Brian Brousseau of Niantic, passed away suddenly Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at the age of 65.

Brian is survived by the love of his life, Karen. They enjoyed over 36 years of marriage together, filled with laughter, concerts, UConn basketball, golf and travel. Brian was a dedicated husband, father and soon-to-be grandfather. He is lovingly remembered by his daughter Jacqueline and her husband Dylan Goetsch of Chicago, Ill.; and his son Brian of Huntington Beach, Calif. Brian and Karen raised their children in Southern California, fulfilling Brian's lifelong California dream. Brian is also survived by his sisters, Elizabeth Brousseau of Westerly, R.I., and Missy (Skip) Brousseau of Westlake Village, Calif.; and his brother Jeremiah (Deb) Brousseau of Vero Beach, Fla. Brian was also a supportive and loving brother-in-law to Ed (Sandy) Avena of Oswego, Ill., Ken (Sharon, decd. 2021) Avena of Melbourne, Fla., Rob (Erica) Avena of East Lyme, and Martha (Stuart) Martin of Hebron, Ky. Brian had a close relationship with and was adored by his many nieces and nephews.

Brian was born Aug. 3, 1958, in Portsmouth, Va., the son of the late naval officer Alfred J. Brousseau Sr. and Josephine (Leydon) Brousseau. He graduated from East Lyme High School in 1976, where he was a catcher on the varsity baseball team. He attended the University of Connecticut where he received his B.S. in pharmacy in 1981. He went on to receive his M.B.A. in healthcare management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1986.

Brian began his career as a pharmacist at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, where he met his wife. Brian transitioned his pharmaceutical career to work in Big Pharma in 1986. He held various sales and management positions at Eli Lilly & Co. for over seventeen years in Indianapolis and Southern California and was selected as the Eli Lilly Management Master Performer in 2003. He worked at Amgen in both management and compliance, until his retirement from the corporate world in 2015. Since then, Brian returned to his hometown to finish out his career serving patients at local pharmacies and clinics. Brian was a frontline healthcare worker during the COVID-19 pandemic and was proud to administer thousands of COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, including to Senator Richard Blumenthal.

First and foremost, Brian dedicated his life to his family. His children were his world, and he was always available to offer them his heartfelt fatherly wisdom. He was happiest spending time with them, often at a pool or track and watching them pursue their dreams. His fondest memories include numerous trips to Hawaii, and Disneyland and surprising his family with the most thoughtful gifts on Christmas morning.

In addition to spending time with family, Brian enjoyed live music, golfing, going to the beach, the New England Patriots and collecting music and sports memorabilia. Brian had encyclopedic knowledge about movies, music and history, and could be counted on to let you know an actor's filmography, the history of his favorite bands, or facts about 20th-century America. Since returning to Niantic, he has adopted a love for gardening and feeding the wild turkeys, deer and birds in his yard. In the last year, he was enthusiastically preparing for the arrival of his first grandchild.

A Celebration of Life will be held at noon Friday, Oct. 6, at Langley's Restaurant located at Great Neck Country Club in Waterford. Lunch will be served after the service. All are welcome to join us to celebrate Brian. Donations in memory of Brian can be made to the American Heart Association. The Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home, 48 Grand St., Niantic, is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.neilanfuneralhome.com.