BRESCIA, Michael F.  Born in Park Ridge, New Jersey, to Pasquale and Martha (Norum) Brescia. He died at home in Arlington on February 3, age 82. He was a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science. He served in the U.S. Army at Fort Jackson during the Vietnam War.

The majority of his working career was at Bolt, Beranek and Newman in Cambridge, beginning in 1978 as a senior scientist. He supported its work for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the US and in Europe. He maintained the majority of the Internet's routers and had an extraordinary ability to diagnose and fix problems in the network. He was well-known for his kind and gentle mentoring of younger employees.

In 2008 he received the IEEE Internet award for ground-breaking work in the development of the first Internet routers, leading to the creation of today's Internet, as well as the design and development of Internet gateway protocols and packet forwarding and monitoring software. He was considered a key contributor to the evolution of the Internet.

He was an active member of Park Street Church in Boston, a well-loved member of the sanctuary choir for 45 years and, for many years, the choir librarian. In 2022, seven new Advent introits were commissioned in his honor. For almost forty years he was a member of the church's Lexington area weekly Bible study where he was a calm, steady, insightful presence.

His knowledge of astronomy was remarkable, and he loved sharing it with others. He participated in community astronomy nights, sharing his telescope and knowledge with people of all ages. Along with a keen sense of humor, he had an extensive knowledge of history and science and was an invaluable asset on any Trivial Pursuit team.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ruth, and their daughter Barbara. Their older daughter Catherine died in 1995. He was the beloved uncle of seven nephews, the sons of his brothers Vincent and Louis.

A memorial service will be held Sunday February 11 at 1:30 pm at Park Street Church, Boston. Burial will be at a future date at Mount Auburn Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made in Michael's name to the Organ Fund, Park Street Church, 1 Park Street, Boston, MA 02108.