Brian J. Viel Obituary

Brian J. Viel, 76, passed peacefully into paradise on August 24, 2026, after a long battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 23, 1949, in Los Angeles, CA, son of Andrew S. and Evelyn M. (Munighan) Viel. He graduated from Thousand Oaks H.S. in 1967 and enlisted into the U.S. Navy, serving on the USS Bushnell AS15 and a tour of shore duty in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, assigned to Base Police; he was honorably discharged in 1973.

He joined the Fort Scott Police Department in 1977–1990 and was promoted to the following positions: Sergeant, Detective, Lieutenant and Deputy Chief. He was a graduate of the KLETC and the KBI academy. He received four academic degrees (AA, BS, MS, and Ed.S.) from Fort Scott Community College, Wichita State University and Pittsburg State University. In 1984 he again enlisted, this time into the Kansas Army National Guard, serving as Military Police with HHC 69th Infantry Brigade and the 35th Division MP CO (-DET 1), both at Topeka, KS. He also served as the Senior Instructor at KMA, Nickell Barracks Training Center, Detachment 2 HQ STARC in Salina, KS. His rank was SFC (E7) MOS 95B. He was again honorably discharged in 1990.

In 1987 he married the love of his life, Mary June Grant, daughter of Charles S. and Darlene M. (Ball) Grant of Redfield, KS. In 1990 he joined the instructional staff at Garden City Community College Criminal Justice Department, until he retired in 2005 with a combined service of 30 years. He was a member of St. Andrew Episcopal Church in Fort Scott, KS, and St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Garden City, KS. He was a 46-year member of and Past Master of Memphis Masonic Lodge #108 in Garland, KS, and also a member and Past Master of Tyrian Lodge #246 in Garden City, KS.

Brian almost always had a second job to gain more insight for his regular employment at the time. From 1982 through 1984, he served as intermittent Deputy United States Marshal, Kansas City, KS office, territory southeast Kansas. From 1993 through 1999, he was employed with the 25th Judicial District Community Corrections Garden City, part-time adult surveillance officer, which gave him plenty of insight into the city.

A year before his retirement God called him to the priesthood and to a prison ministry. In 2004 he began his theological studies with the Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas School of Ministries.

In 2007 he moved his family to Hutchinson, KS. In 2008 he was ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons and served at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Lyons, KS. In 2009 he was ordained an Episcopal Priest and served as Chaplain at St. John's Military School, with a student body of 232 cadets, in Salina, KS.

In 2011 he was hired at Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) as Chaplain for the East and South Units, responsible for the spiritual guidance of over 900 inmates. He also served as a Priest Associate at Grace Episcopal Church, Hutchinson. In 2013 he was again placed at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Lyons as interim priest, and in 2015 was installed as Vicar of St. Mark's, where he remained until mandatory retirement in 2021 but continued on as their Vicar until his death; he also remained a part-time chaplain for HCF.

During the course of his life, he enjoyed studying God's word, boating, roller skating, water skiing, surfing, all firearms, mountain rappelling, cycling, motorcycling, skydiving, parasailing, sailing, zip lining, playing chess, pinochle, spades and hearts, and watching professional boxing and NFL football — his favorite boxer was Muhammad Ali, his favorite team the L.A. Rams. He loved listening to oldies from the '50s and '60s, with The Beatles as his favorite band. His giant schnauzers, Samson and Delilah, gave him their unconditional love, companionship, and loyalty, and the three were inseparable.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Viel; son, Lukas J.A. Viel; daughter, Ashlyn M.E. Viel, and grandson, Kolton M. Viel, all of Hutchinson; stepson, Trenton (Summer) Rhodes, and step-grandsons, Nova (Dallas) and Easton Rhodes, all of Fort Scott, KS; sister, Denise (Gary) Davis, of Grants Pass, OR; brother, Paul J. Vielle, Ph.D. (Karen), of Spokane, WA; special cousin, George (Marilyn) Dewhurst, of Florence, OR; and several nieces and nephews, along with two very special girls, Joetta Reisz of Bella Vista, AR, and Vanessa Poyner of Fort Scott, KS.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his in-laws; sister, Janice (Viel) Thomas; nephew, John Thomas; stepson, Marcus Rhodes; and brothers-in-law Richard Thomas, Kenneth and Phillip Grant, and sister-in-law Charlene Riley.