The Life of Brian

Brian W. Lovell (age 76) died February 23, 2026, surrounded by his wife, daughters and sons-in-law after a long journey with Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his beloved wife of over 31 years, Maureen Askin, two daughters, Kelly (Ben Falter) and Katie (Kyle Smith), sister, Valerie Bickley, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Tom and Jan Askin, Carolyn and Earl Franz, Rick and Heidi Askin, Zsuzsanna Dorko, aunt, Anne Howe, many cousins, nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, Roy and Grace Lily Lovell, in-laws, Thomas and Jane Askin, and brothers-in-law, David Bickley and Daniel Askin. Brian was a devoted dad who doted on his girls as well as his sister’s three children. He is a beloved uncle to his many nieces and nephews.

Brian was born and raised in Hayes, England, and maintained many lifelong friendships. He showed an early capacity for math and physics and loved to tinker and fix things. He earned pocket money repairing small electrical appliances for neighbors. At 13, he found a broken television set, which he repaired. He turned it on to the broadcast of the very first episode of Dr. Who. He became a longtime fan. 

Brian attended the University of Salford in Manchester, England and earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1970. He later received a Master’s in Business Management from the University of Surrey. He joined British Aircraft Corporation as an air defense systems engineer. He continued aircraft and defense systems software and hardware projects at EMI, MacDonald Douglass, GEC/Marconi and Unisys, through progressive managerial and executive positions in both England and the US. He achieved the competencies for membership in the Institution of Electrical Engineers, (MIEE), and the British Institute of Management (MBIM), professional organizations in the UK.

Brian established a private management consulting business in the UK and later transitioned to printer software systems with Synergy, UK Limited. He excelled in team building and financial management and many recall him as a skilled negotiator and a great, fun-loving boss. 

Brian ended his career at Xerox, in the printer division, and retired in 2011. He continued sharing his business expertise through SCORE, volunteering to mentor small business owners and start-ups in establishing goals, developing business and financial plans, and advising on financing and growth.

Through his work and personal life, he travelled extensively in Europe, South America, Australia and Singapore, but his fondest memories were of a camping vacation in Greece. His travels eventually took him to San Francisco, where he met his wife, Maureen Askin. They married two years later and settled in the outer London area, near Watford, UK, where their daughter, Kelly, was born. They relocated to the Rochester, N.Y. area ahead of the birth of their second daughter, Katie. Brian became a US citizen on July 4, 2007.

Brian was a lover of sports, especially rugby, cricket, and both English football (soccer) and American football. From childhood, he was an avid Fulham Football Club fan (English Premier League), and later became a Buffalo Bills fan after moving to western New York. A lover of the arts, he developed a keen interest in music during the early days of rock and roll and expanded his interest to classical, jazz, blues, and R & B. He frequented art museums, theaters, read widely, and passed his passion for the arts and history to his daughters. Brian was very proud to share a birthday with William Shakespeare on St. George’s Day, the patron saint of England. He always enjoyed a proper pint of English beer or a cone of strawberry ice cream.

The family wishes to express their deep appreciation to Brian’s physicians, caregivers, Lifespan staff and volunteers, the staff of Creekstone Memory Care, MCH Hospice Unit and the UR Hospice team for their extraordinary care and support to Brian and his family throughout the Alzheimer’s journey.

Friends may call Friday, March 13 from 3:30-6:30 pm at Jennings, Nulton & Mattle Funeral Home, 1704 Penfield Rd. Penfield, N.Y.14526 with a service on Saturday, March 14 at 11 am. Interment will be private. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests consideration of donations in Brian’s name to Lifespan of Greater Rochester, 1900 S. Clinton Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618, The Alzheimer’s Associationhttps://events.alz.org/fundraisers/maureenaskin/a-tribute-to-brian-lovell, or Monroe Community Hospital Auxiliary, 435 E. Henrietta Rd, Rochester, N.Y. 14620 - noting the Hospice Unit.