Brian David Pomerleau

Brian David Pomerleau, 61, of Chincoteague Island, Virginia, passed away in the comfort of his home listening to a little Jerry Garcia and surrounded by so much love on Sunday, December 28. He wanted to be at home with his family, his dog, and the kitties. He wanted to be in the sunshine once more.  He was born on May 31, 1964, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to the late David and Patricia Pomerleau.

He graduated from Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and later graduated from Lynchburg College (Class of '86) in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he made many lifelong friendships. In 1990, Brian met Tammy (Peters) while waiting tables at Phillips Flagship in Washington, D.C. They later married, settled in Haymarket, Virginia, and their little family was complete when their son, Samuel, was born. 

Brian had a full life. He followed his own path and defined life by his own measure. He and Tammy enjoyed many “discovery” drives throughout Virginia. Once Samuel came along, they buckled him in the car seat and would just pick a direction to drive. They also had wonderful family trips together to Chicago, Austin, San Antonio, Indianapolis, New Orleans, New York, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Many summer vacations were spent at Smith Mountain Lake boating with his parents, sister, brother, and their families. There are lots of great memories with Brian, including a road trip to New Hampshire for his family’s reunion; the northern family and cousins. He was an extraordinary handyman who loved a challenge and could fix just about anything, or as he would say, “anything”. His favorite music was the free spirit and joyous lyrics and tunes of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, and he passed that on to both Tammy and Samuel. He would often pick up his guitar to play a verse or two.  Brian loved riding his motorcycles and took many trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Shenandoah Valley.  His travels took him to places such as Niagara Falls, Sturgis, South Dakota, Badlands National Park, and Wyoming. However, his favorite trip was his solo round-trip ride from Virginia to Alaska, where he took the Dalton Highway to Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay/Arctic Circle and camped out most of the way. These trips were much more enjoyable than his daily motorcycle commute to work in northern Virginia.   

In 2024, Brian retired from a rewarding 25-year career as a Program Manager from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and made Chincoteague his home along with Tammy and Samuel. You would often see him and his dog, Trixie, riding around the Island just passing the time or making a quick visit to Tammy’s shop to say, Hi. 

He loved all his family and was so very proud of his son, Samuel. Brian will be missed dearly by everyone who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Tammy; son, Samuel, sister, Debra Pomerleau Mabry (Bill), brother, Kevin Pomerleau (Frances), nieces Brittany (Evan) and Megan, and nephews, Joshua, David and Jacob. 

"There is a road, no simple highway

Between the dawn and the dark of night

And if you go, no one may follow

That path is for your steps alone"

Ripple, Grateful Dead

A celebration of Brian’s life will be held at a later date.

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