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Bryan Wayne Van Blaricum was born on March 28, 1964, the son of Harlan and Nancy (Arnold) Van Blaricum in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He passed away on March 25, 2024, just three days short of his 60th birthday. He was first diagnosed with diabetes when he was 13 and has dealt with many complications through the years, but he lost his battle as he was waiting for a heart pump at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
Bryan married Karen Baker on October 31, 2015, at a Halloween costume themed wedding in a local park, which shows his love for the holiday and obsessive connection to the Nightmare Before Christmas characters,“Jack and Sally”. He was thrilled to be able to help raise Karen’s son, Matt, as his own. He also looked forward to Fridays when he took care of his niece, Addy. Other survivors include Bryan’s sister, Heidi Madias (Angel Rivera) and her children, Mike Madias (Mary Proch) and Miranda (Matthew) Scott. Uncle Bill Arnold (Carol Miller) and Aunt Judy (Chuck) Connelly and their children will also miss him.
Bryan attended the Dexter Schools, graduating in 1982. He was a member of Troop 448 of the Boy Scouts and attained the rank of Life Scout and was a member of the Order of the Arrow. Along with his father, one of the troop leaders, he had many great experiences including the yearly trip to Canada, many service projects, the Native American Dance Team and the trip to the BSA Philmont Camp in New Mexico - he was the first diabetic scout on the trails.
During his high school years, he developed a love of musical performance. He was a member of the True Spirit (a local teen Christian singing group), and he was in the high school musicals which carried over to his years living in Alpena when he played Bilbo Baggins in a production of The Hobbit. He found his place in karaoke and even became a disk-jockey and emceed weddings and other events.
Bryan has had many different jobs, but most of them involved food. He worked for Busch’s in the Deli Department, for Cottage Inn, and other restaurants, but mostly for Aramark, a national food service, at the University of Michigan Hospital where he was the omelet chef, as well as when he lived in New Mexico for a few years.
Bryan’s true happiness revolved around his family and his many hobbies. He could be found singing Karaoke as often as possible, in the park playing Pokemon with his son, in full garb at a Medieval reenactment or just reading one of his many science fiction odysseys.
Bryan was known for making people laugh. Everyone who met him couldn’t help but be drawn to his fun, energetic personality, especially when he greeted them as “Mork from Ork”.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Dexter Area Museum - 3443 Inverness St, Dexter, MI 48130 on Sunday, April 14, 2024 from 2:00pm - 5:00pm.
A Memorial Celebration will be held at one of Bryan's favorite karaoke sites, the Milan Senior Center - 45 Neckel Court, Milan, MI 48160 on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Times and updates will be announced at www.niefuneralhomes.com
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Bryan’s honor to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) online at www.jdrf.org/memorial or by mail to PO Box 5021, Hagerstown, MD, 21741-5021.
