Donald Paul Bilyeu of Lenox passed away on February 27, 2017 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Born on November 27, 1932 in the Bronx, N.Y., he was the son of the late Harold and Elizabeth Bilyeu. He attended elementary through high school at St. Nicholas of Tolentine and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College in 1954.
He was employed by GE Ordnance in Pittsfield and participated in the Polaris through Trident missile defense programs, retiring in 1992. He also served as Lenox Town Warden and as gate attendant at Tanglewood for many years. He enjoyed movies, classical music, opera, computer animation, water color painting and gardening. He and his wife, Barbara, met by chance in a cable car in Zermatt, Switzerland in 1962 and were married September 5, 1964 in Bloomfield, Conn., at Sacred Heart Church.
In the 1970’s and early 1980’s he was a member of the Vineyard Community at the former Cranwell School and participated in William Gibson’s plays, “The Body and the Wheel” and “The Butterfinger’s Angel”. He was a communicant of St. Ann Church in Lenox.
Besides his wife Barbara, he is survived by his children, Elizabeth (Beth) Twohy and her husband, Peter, of Cockeysville, Md., David Bilyeu and his wife, Catherine, of Lakewood, Colo., and Scott Bilyeu, also of Lakewood; grandchildren Kyra and Conor Twohy, Devon and Taryn Bilyeu, and Cameron Bilyeu. He was predeceased by his sister, June Moylan.
The family thanks HospiceCare of the Berkshires and Renée Carl for their support and care of Don. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 2 with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at St. Ann Church at 11 a.m., concelebrated by Rev. Gerald Finnegan SJ and Monsignor John Bonzagni. There will be no calling hours. All attending the funeral Mass are invited to a reception immediately following at St. Ann Family Center. Burial in St. Ann cemetery will be private. Donations in his memory may be made to HospiceCare in The Berkshires at 877 South St #1w, Pittsfield, MA 01201.
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