Brian Friedhoff

Brian Donald Friedhoff unexpectedly and tragically left this world on January 9th, 2023. Absolutely no one was prepared for the abrupt end to a life in motion. His wife, Lesley, had been by his side for more than 15 years. Together they loved to complete DIY projects in their home, watch evening TV together, and travel. They brought the two most beautiful kids into this world: Delaney (5) and Brooks (2).  Brian enjoyed working in his shop (seemingly endlessly reorganizing his tools) and taking the kids on adventures in the UTV. He was the type of dad who always let the kids “help” with tasks that surely would’ve been completed more efficiently without their participation. Brian was also “Daddy” to his beloved bulldog, Jax. No one can understand Jax’s signals and sounds quite like he could; after all, Brian was well-known for easily bonding with babies and animals, probably due to his gentle and quiet nature.

Brian was raised in Elma, Iowa by his dedicated and hard-working parents, Don and Donna (Reicks) Friedhoff. Brian and Don loved catching up on the phone regularly, talking so easily with one another that they could essentially finish each other’s sentences. He was also the resident “IT support” for his parents and several of his in-laws. He was always so patient and understanding while troubleshooting even the simplest of concerns. Brian was the older brother to Stacie (Shane) Marzen of Vinton, IA, and he was looking forward to spending more time with his nephews and niece (Gabriel, Gavin, Sierra, and Grayson) since moving back to the Midwest in 2021.

Brian had a traditional small-town upbringing and had so many fond memories of backwoods outings, motorsports, and stories of epic barhops to small-town dive bars that are best left unshared with his kids for many years to come. He was a 1997 graduate of Crestwood High School in Cresco, Iowa and earned his degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Northern Iowa. Brian worked in IT for the last 20 years and was exceptional at his job. Although he worked in many industries, healthcare IT was where he felt most at home.

The shock of the loss of Brian reverberates in the hearts and minds of all who knew him. He could talk to anyone, and was known to quickly acquaint himself with neighbors, community members, and colleagues. Tragically, Brian suffered silently for many years from the disease of depression. His desire to take care of others and make them happy prevented him from truly listening to and healing his own aching spirit. There are no words that can describe the gaping hole the painful loss of him has left in the world for those who knew and loved him.

A celebration of life will be held from 3-6:00 PM on Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Elma Memorial Hall, 702 Busti Ave. in Elma, IA . In lieu of flowers, we request donations to the family’s gofundme fundraiser and the children’s educational funds to ensure a secure future for Delaney and Brooks.

Cress Funeral Home-- Sun Prairie

608-837-9054