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On a sad note, one of the original Creek Road Runners, CRR Tom Brill, died on July 23 of complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Having retired from the University of Delaware in 2006 because of Parkinson’s, Brill also had to stop running, but he walked as much as he could in the ensuing years.
Brill wrote his own obituary, a portion of which says, “He enjoyed hiking, running, canoeing and mountain climbing. He and his wife [Pat] won the Gore-Tex triathlon mixed pairs in 1985.”
CRR Mark Deshon remembers the day he first met Brill. Deshon met Creek Road Runners co-founder CRR Bob Bennett that same day during a 4.5-mile race in Newark. “This was my first road race in which I experienced running with the lead pack. Tom and Bob, 12 and 15 years my senior, respectively, were among a group of seven runners who were battling for the lead that day. Bob ended up winning, I finished third, and Tom finished right behind me in fourth.
“Tom was always such a kind and humble person,” Deshon continued. “In 2016, he came to an arranged 75th birthday lunch get together in honor of Bob, who had been one of Tom’s running partners back in the 70s.”
CRR Charlie Riordan, UD vice president for research, scholarship and innovation, called Brill “a true scholar-teacher,” and said, “He was a thoughtful and understated [chemistry department] colleague and mentor, whose scientific impact continues through the careers of the excellent students he produced.”
