Journalist and Author David Brussat Dies at 72
Monahan Drabble Sherman Funeral Home
Journalist and Author David Brussat Dies at 72
Born in Chicago on July 15th, 1953, to William Kenneth and Mona Carolyn (Pascal) Brussat, David moved with his family to Washington, D.C. at age two and grew up there. After earning a journalism degree from American University, he began his newspaper career, eventually joining the editorial board of The Providence Journal. From 1990 to 2014, he wrote editorials, laid out pages, and authored a weekly architecture column that became a defining voice in the region. In 2002, he received the Arthur Ross Award from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, where he later served on the New England chapter’s board.
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David launched Architecture Here and There in 2009 as a Journal feature, later continuing it independently on WordPress. Through his blog and his essays, he championed classical design, urban beauty, and the human-centered principles he believed made architecture meaningful. His writing was both scholarly and inviting, inspiring readers, students, and professionals to look more carefully at the world around them.
He delighted in conversation, welcomed debate, and believed deeply that beauty—true beauty—matters. Above all, he adored his family. The great joy of his life was his son, Billy, with whom he shared a love of books. Since Billy’s infancy, David ended each day reading aloud to him and to his wife, Victoria—moving effortlessly from Dr. Seuss to Roald Dahl to Arthur Conan Doyle.
David is survived by his wife, Victoria Somlo; his son, William Laszlo Brussat; his brothers, Hugh Anthony Brussat (Sabrina) and Guy Pascal Brussat (Laura); and a community of colleagues, friends, and readers who will deeply miss his presence and perspective. His voice endures in the words he left behind and in the countless people he inspired to see architecture not simply as structures, but as expressions of culture, history, and humanity.
A Celebration of Life will take place in the spring. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hope Health Hulitar Hospice Center.