Brian Andrew DiAntonio

He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and grandpa, with a love of science and history, and a true passion for storytelling.

Brian, along with his twin brother, was born to Andrew and Mary DiAntonio in Tachikawa, Japan. The middle of five sons, Brian spent his childhood overseas, including stints in Italy and Germany, before the family settled in Northern Virginia. He received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971 and served in the Navy until 1981. Following his naval service, he built a successful career leading several firms in government and military contracting.

Soon after, Brian met Nancy Lynn Armstrong, with whom he shared 43 years of marriage, family, and life in the Washington, DC, area. They loved to entertain, and were known to dance together while doing the dishes after parties, ensuring the house was spotless by morning.

He remained an active member of his community, serving on neighborhood boards, chaperoning youth service trips, and participating enthusiastically in the Chantilly Writers Group. In retirement, he found joy in teaching middle school science as a substitute teacher, and adopting senior dogs, who he and Nancy could spoil endlessly.

Brian is survived by his wife, Nancy; his sons, Andrew and Nicholas; Andrew’s husband, Matt; Nicholas’s wife, Mandy; and his beloved grandson, Miles. He is also survived by his four brothers, Steven, Dennis, Michael, and Mark, sister-in-law, Cathy (Jeff), his niece, Nicole (Tom), and nephews, Michael (Amy), Christopher and Steven (Carrie), and great-nieces, Mia, Sophie, Charlotte, Hazel, and Kinsey.

Brian was ever fascinated by the vastness of the universe and the diversity of life on Earth. A life-long learner, he maintained subscriptions to both Astronomy Magazine and National Geographic. He loved science fiction and film, and was known to greet friends with his favorite question: “Seen any good movies lately?” Brian was a prolific and creative writer, and his decades-long literary project, The Puritan, will be published posthumously with support from his son, Nick.

A celebration of life service will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd at 11am at Vale United Methodist Church, in Oakton, Virginia. A reception will follow at Brian and Nancy’s home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Inova Schar Cancer Institute in gratitude for the compassionate care Brian received from the dedicated medical professionals at Inova.