Bryce Connor

Bryce Connor, 37, passed peacefully from this world on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, due to health issues.  He was born on April 6, 1985 in Madison, WI to Cliffe and Mary Connor.

Bryce was a special light in the world from the moment he was born. He played endless games of adventure with his brother, sister, cousins, and friends.  He was a voracious reader from an early age and always loved music (playing and listening). He was a goofball jokester who could always make you laugh. He loved camping, swimming, riding bikes, and playing with friends in the neighborhood.  He had a knack for remembering every word he read. Not just an intellectual, he played soccer, football, and eventually found a great connection with rugby.

He graduated from East High School in 2004 and was a National Merit Scholar. He took a gap year during which he worked in a salmon cannery in Alaska, was a certified chain saw operator for Americorps in Arizona, and was a whitewater raft guide in Colorado. He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris in 2009. He made great friends during all those years.

With his partner Sophie, Bryce enjoyed a great travel and work adventure in Colorado-one of their favorite spots. They returned to Madison where they shared a love of cooking, music, podcasts, movies, reading, Park Falls, animals, nature, and growing things.  They loved spending time together. Over the years, Bryce had all kinds of interesting jobs from a ranch hand to a cab driver and everything in between, ending his work career at Exact Sciences. For many years he played in a band that included his brother and his dad.

Bryce was a revolutionary, a radical thinker, a one-of-a-kind, bear of a man with a huge heart and a warrior’s spirit. He cared deeply about this world. He was always up for a new experience and lived an incredibly full life in his short time here. Oh, the stories we could (and will continue) to tell! He was kind, thoughtful and gentle. He was passionate about standing up for the rights of others. He believed there was room at the table for everyone and lived that belief every day of his life. His mission was to protect those he loved. He challenged us to live a bigger life. His spirit is strong within us and we will live our lives in love and strength in his honor always.

He is survived by his partner, Sophie Messinger, his brother Nathan (Shanna), his sister Eilish (Zach), his parents, Cliffe and Mary, his nephew Huckleberry and his niece Naomi, and his dog, Sadie.  He is also survived by his Grandmother Nancy Vuchetich, his aunts and uncles Andrea (Dave) Nicolaus, Laurie (Paul) Jones, John (Jill) Vuchetich, Brianne Connor (Kent Livingston), John (Kandi) Connor, and Bonnie McKinstry, his cousins, Carla, Paul, Katie, Ben, Nina, Connor, Jasmine, and Lily, and their families, and so many important friends.

He was preceded in death by his Grandparents, Jim and Cierra Connor, and John Vuchetich, and his Auntie Nadine Connor.

His life was a gift, a blessing to all who knew him. He is deeply, deeply loved and will never be forgotten.

A celebration of life will be held on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. with a short program beginning at 12:00 at Seven Acre Dairy Company, 6856 Paoli Road, Belleville, WI.

Please share your memories of Bryce by posting on his Tribute Wall.

Cress Funeral Service

3610 Speedway Road, Madison

(608) 238-3434