Brian Christopher MacWilliams

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Brian Christopher MacWilliams, who left this world on January 12, 2026, at the age of 74. Brian was born on March 25, 1951, in Philadelphia, but lived most of his life in Portland, OR. He led a life imbued with love, kindness, and a quiet resilience that touched the lives of many.

Brian worked for the US Postal Service, at the main branch in downtown Portland, beginning in 1977 and continuing until his retirement, with 40 years of service. He took great pride in earning many perfect attendance awards and was often recognized for his speed and accuracy—a testament to his steadfastness and commitment. He was a proud veteran of the US Air Force where he worked stateside as an accounting clerk, though the war in Viet Nam war was still raging. He carried fond memories of his friends and duty at Hamilton Air Force base near San Francisco, and then his transfer to Peterson Field in Colorado Springs, CO when Hamilton closed.

Those who knew Brian remember him for his generous spirit, his sharp wit, his intelligence, his loyalty, his kindness, his often playful nature and his generosity. He had a knack for surprising friends and family with small, unexpected but thoughtful gifts. In his quiet demeanor, there lay a deep intelligence and an ever-present steadfastness that he could always be counted on. His patience, particularly in his later years when faced numerous health challenges, exemplified a profound strength and a heart that had learned to embrace life's difficulties with grace. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in his 60s, but managed pretty well until he suffered an adverse reaction to a prescribed medication that hospitalized him for nearly a month in 2022. He worked so hard to recover from that and was making good progress until he suffered a debilitating stroke in January of 2025. He never lost his tenacity and courage to do the hard work of recovering from the stroke, which sadly had also significantly worsened his Parkinson's symptoms. He was still working on his daily exercises and therapies right up to contracting the pneumonia that ended his life too soon. He was an inspiration to us all!

Brian had a diverse array of interests that enriched his world and those around him. He loved the camping and hiking trips to Mount Rainier that he enjoyed with Jan and Shannon for so many years, attending Portland Beavers minor league baseball games, and he shared his lifelong love of model trains by building a huge and wonderful train table for his grandson Ben, that consumed much of Brian's living space for many years. 

His love of music sparks countless memories, whether it was immersing himself in vinyl at Tower Records on Friday nights, playing DJ to Jan and Shannon late into the night, or experiencing the symphony’s magic and a huge array of classical music. Over the course of his life, he loved collecting baseball cards, and later, comic books, engaging in trivia, eating daily at his favorite lunch spot (Fuller's Cafe), and enjoying other simple pleasures of life: picking his grandson up from school, wearing cologne and giving scents as gifts, enjoying cigars and friends at the 82nd Avenue Tobacco & Pipe and Greater Trumps, working on and actually completing the New York Times crossword puzzles every day...even on Sundays(!), and the art of capturing moments and nature through photography while just taking daily walks in his neighborhood.

His family was the cornerstone of his existence—Shannon Schwartz, his beloved daughter; Max Schwartz, the son-in-law who joined his family; his cherished grandson, Ben Schwartz; and his former spouse and life partner, Jan MacWilliams. He is also survived by his brothers, Rod (Marguerite), Kevin (Janet), and his sister, Anne-Marie Mueller (Charlie), sister-in-law Kim Kurata and many nephews and nieces, who will miss him dearly.

Brian also cultivated and maintained several life long friendships, notably with Phil Dalton, Ed Herring and Cindy Filer.

Brian’s journey was shadowed by loss, as he is preceded in death by his father, Rodrick Sterling MacWilliams; mother, Laverne (Vicki) MacWilliams; and brother, Daniel MacWilliams.

As we reflect on the vibrant tapestry that was Brian's life, we recognize the connections he nourished, the kindness he spread, and the unwavering love he imparted upon family and friends alike. He will be deeply missed but forever remembered as a gentle soul with a generous heart who filled the lives of many with warmth and joy.