Brian G. Testa

Brian Testa, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, musician, teacher, teammate, coach, neighbor and friend to anyone he met, has died one year after being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He was 82. 

A lifelong athlete and sports fan, Brian objected to being taken out of the game early and would have liked to have some say in it, because he truly relished being here.

From ski trips, hockey games and kayaking adventures to spending time with his grandkids, having ice cream for dinner and taking long beach walks, Brian embraced the joy of life every day. And Brian shared that joy with all those around him through a life defined by unfailing kindness, beautiful music, a passion for social justice, and quiet generosity.

Born on May 18, 1943, Brian was raised in Medford, Mass., the second son of a first generation Sicilian father and first generation Irish mother. He was a hard-working guy and a natural athlete who particularly loved ice hockey and baseball. He graduated from Malden Catholic High School in 1961.

At age 19, Brian bought an unfinished house on Hamilton Terrace in Georgetown, which became a popular place to play music with friends and hang out with his fraternity brothers, who remain dear friends to this day. The same house would become his family’s homebase for more than 60 years. Brian loved his neighbors and Georgetown community, and he and Sue often gathered friends and family to their home. 

While Brian had a constellation of friend groups, there was no one in the world he would rather spend time with than his best friend, Sue. After first dating her college roommates, Brian married Sue in August 1969, a year before they graduated together from Merrimack College. One year later, Brian and Sue welcomed their first child, Karen. That same year they also welcomed Brian’s signature beard, which he had for the rest of his life. Their second child, Michael, completed their family in 1974.

Together, Brian and Sue always found ways to support their family, friends and communities in need - with a meal, a welcome, a nonjudgemental ear. They founded People Helping People, a service organization that provided food and companionship to the needy. Merrimack College honored Brian and Sue with the St. Augustin Award for service to the community in 1986.

For more than 50 years, Brian and his family have been members of the LaSalette faith community, where he also served as a music minister and developed deep and abiding friendships. At LaSalette, Brian also found new ways to extend generosity and work for social justice. Over the years, Brian participated in turkey and coat drives for Lazarus House, gathered donated Christmas gifts and personal care items, and always delivered them with discretion and dignity for the recipients. 

As a young father and husband, Brian worked at Raytheon and later CompuGraphic, and still found plenty of time to coach Little League or soccer. When Sue decided to pursue a masters program, Brian joined her and together they earned masters degrees in human services in 1996 in a weekend program while both were working full time.  And at the age of 58, Brian became a junior high school teacher, a natural fit with his disposition and love of youth and learning. He went on to teach math for the next decade, all but one year in Danvers, Mass. 

After his retirement, Brian joked he was busier than when he was working. He played ice hockey once a week into his 80s, enjoyed his weekly walking group friends, loved every house project he could do with his son Mike, made frequent trips to drop off donations at Lazarus House, and started a ukulele program and guitar class at Newburyport Senior Center.

Brian’s trademark musical style grew out of the folk music era of the 60s, when he would go to coffee houses and take careful notes as he was self-taught on the guitar. Brian was frequently called upon to play weddings, funerals, baptisms and other events for family and friends. In 2018, Brian was invited to perform for friends and family at the Shalin Liu in Rockport. During the show, he paused on stage, took a photograph of the audience with his cell phone and asked, “What’s it like to be part of somebody’s dream?”

Still, family was always Brian’s top priority. Together, Brian and Sue were the No. 1 fans of their grandchildren. They made countless road trips to Philadelphia for baseball and basketball games, and swim meets for Zack and Amber, and delighted in joining Mike, his wife Mary and their friends for Carly and Paige’s local sporting or school events. 

Brian also was a dedicated brother to Paul and proud uncle to 22 nieces and nephews and their children. He deeply loved his brothers- and sisters-in-law. And he leaves behind hundreds of friends, neighbors and co-workers whose lives were enriched by knowing him.

Brian is survived by Susan, his wife of 56 years; his daughter, Karen Testa, of Wynnewood, Pa.; and her children Zachary Wong of Eugene, Ore.; and Amber Wong of Pullman, Wash.; his son, Michael Testa and his wife, Mary, and daughters Carly and Paige, of Amesbury; and his brother, Paul Testa of North Hampton, N.H., and his many brothers- and sisters-in laws and nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass to celebrate Brian’s life will be held Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church on Andover Street in Georgetown. A lunch reception will follow at Black Swan Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Lazarus House at lazarushouse.org or The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, (Donate to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation), or ℅ Laurie Kikel, 5526 W 13400 S #510; Herriman, Utah, 84096

To share memories of Brian with his family, please visit www.cgfuneralhomegeorgetown.com

The Conte - Giamberardino Funeral Home, 14 Pleasant Street, Georgetown has been entrusted with Brian's care.

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