Brian Ellis Delf

1961 - 2019

Brian Ellis Delf, aged 57, passed away at home in Mary Esther on May 2, 2019, after a lengthy battle with colon cancer for the third time. He was born on December 3, 1961 in Rome, Georgia to his parents, Robert C. and Virginia W. Delf. He graduated from Burnt Hills – Ballston Lake Senior High School in June 1980 with a Regents diploma. He completed a Bachelor's degree in Rhetoric and Communication from the State University of New York at Albany in August 1984. Further, he earned a Master's Degree of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the graduate school of Union College in Schenectady, New York in June 2000. Finally, he had almost completed a Master's of System Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Huntsville, Alabama before his final round of cancer stopped him from finalizing his Capstone project.
His parents, Robert C. and Virginia W. Delf, preceded him in death, along with multiple grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Brian is survived by his wife of eight years, Dr. Judy Manning, and their son, Andrew. He is also survived by his former spouse and mother of his adult children, Melanie P. Delf; his children, Mary, Catherine, and John; his grandchildren, Kenneth and Nathan Warwick; and his sister, Andrea Delf Richburg and her husband, Howard Richburg.
Brian pursued multiple careers including the restaurant business, procurement, and systems engineering. He worked in multiple restaurants with the last one being Union College. With procurement, he started with Bechtel Plant Machinery Incorporated and finished his career by moving from procurement to systems engineering with The Boeing Company. He had multiple interests including coins, gardening, home repair, and theatre arts. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Destin though his illness kept him away from his family there far too often towards the end.
Brian donate his body to MedCure to help advance medical science. Once his cremains are returned to his family, his ashes will become a permanent living legacy through Eternal Reefs, which helps to preserve and protect the marine environment through environmentally-sound concrete reefs. The casting of the reef ball, along with the onboard memorial service, will be announced at a later date. Donations may be made in his name to Children in Crisis, Inc. in Fort Walton Beach or Grace Lutheran Church in Destin.